••-  -; 


MP1 


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BANCROFT    LIBRARY 


CONTRIBUTIONS 


ETHNOGRAPHY  AND  PHILOLOGY 


INDIAN  TRIBES 


MISSOURI 


By   DR    F.    V. 


MEMBER   OP   THE   AMERICAN    PHILOSOPHICAL   SOCIETY,    OF   THE  ACADEMY   OF    NATURAL   SCIENCES    OF 

PHILADELPHIA,    ETC.   ETC. 


PREPARED  UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  OF  CAPT.  WILLIAM  F.  RAYNOLDS,  T.E.U.S.A., 
AND  PUBLISHED  BY  PERMISSION  OF  THE  WAR  DEPARTMENT. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
C.    SHERMAN    &    SON,    PRINTERS. 

1862. 


E 


7? 


COINTTEISTTS. 


CHAPTER  I.     Introduction. 


PAGES 

231-234 


ALGONKIN     GROUP,     A. 

II.  Knistcneaux,  or  Crecs  —  Ethnographical  History,     ... 

III.  Blackfeet  —  Ethnographical  History,         .... 

IV.  Kemarks  on  the  Grammatical  Structure  of  the  Blackfbot  Language, 
V.  Vocabulary  of  the  Sik-si-ka',  or  Blackfoot  Language,    .. 

VI.  Shyennes  —  Ethnographical  History,  .... 

VII.  Remarks  on  the  Grammatical  Structure  of  the  Shyennc  Language, 

VIII.  Vocabulary  of  the  Shyenne  Language,          .... 


231-248 
248-256 
257-266 
266-273 
274-282 
283-290 
294-320 


ARAPOHO    GKOUP,     B. 

Arapohos  —  Ethnographical  History,  and  Eemarks  on  the  Grammatical  Struc 

ture  of  their  Language,             ......  32l-;>-!7 

X.     Vocabulary  of  the  Arapoho  Language,    ......  328-339 

XI.     Atsinas  —  Ethnographical  History  and  Vocabulary,              .             .             .  340-345 

PAWNEE     GROUP,     C. 

XII.     Pawnees  —  Ethnographical  History  and  Vocabulary,      ....  345-351 

XIII.  Arikaras  —  Ethnographical  History  and  Vocabulary,            .                         .  351-303 

DAKOTA    GROUP,     D. 

XIV.  Dakotas—  Ethnographical  History  and  Vocabulary,       .                         .             .  364-378 
XV.     Assiniboins  —  Ethnographical  History  and  Vocabulary,       .             .             .  379-391 

XVI.     Aub-sa'-ro-ke,  or  Crow  Indians  —  Ethnographical  History,  with  Eemarks  on 

the  Grammatical  Structure  of  their  Language,           .             .             .  391-402 

XVII.     Vocabulary  of  the  Aub-sa'-ro-ko,  or  Crow  Language,    ....  402-420 

XVIII.     Minnitarees  —  Ethnographical  History  and  Vocabulary,       .             .             .  420-426 

XIX.     Mandans  —  Ethnographical  History,         ......  426-435 

XX.     Observations  on  the  Grammatical  Structure  of  the  Mandan  Language,    .  4:>5-439 

XXI.     Vocabulary  of  the  Mandan  Language.     ......  439-444 

XXII.     Sketch  of  the  Orna'-ha.  and  Iowa  or  Oto  Indians,  with  Vocabularies,        .  444-456 


ARTICLE   III. 

CONTRIBUTIONS  TO  THE  ETHNOGRAPHY  AND  PHILOLOGY  OF  THE  INDIAN  TRIBES  OF  THE  MISSOURI  VALLEY. 

BY      F.      V.      II   A   Y   D    E    N,       M.D. 


CHAPTER    I. 

INTRODUCTION. 

THE  materials  which  compose  the  following  chapters  have  been  accumulated  since  the 
summer  of  1855,  and  I  now  for  the  first  time  venture  to  present  them  for  publication. 
They  are  named  "  Contributions,"  because  they  by  no  means  exhaust  the  subjects  treated, 
and  also  because  they  convey  but  little  more  than  a  glimpse  of  the  beauty  and  fulness  of 
the  various  Indian  languages  spoken  in  the  Northwest.  No  opportunity  will  be  left  unim 
proved  in  the  future  to  verify  or  add  to  the  materials  already  secured,  although  no  effort 
has  been  spared  to  render  the  present  memoir  as  accurate  as  possible.  A  very  full  Gram 
mar  and  Dictionary  of  the  Dakota  Language  has  been  published  by  the  Smithsonian  Insti 
tution,  which  it  is  but  just  to  pronounce  the  most  important  contribution  to  Indian  Phi 
lology  ever  made  in  this  country.  To  this  work  I  am  very  much  indebted  for  many 
valuable  suggestions  during  the  latter  part  of  my  researches.  It  can  hardly  be  regarded 
as  necessary  to  perform  an  equally  laborious  task  for  all  the  native  languages  of  our  con 
tinent,  neither  could  it  be  done  except  by  intelligent  missionaries,  who  have  spent  their 
lives  with  the  Indians,  and  acquired  a  great  degree  of  familiarity  with  their  modes  of  ex 
pression.  With  the  Dakotas,  who  occupy  so  vast  an  area  of  our  Northwestern  country, 
educated  missionaries  have  resided  many  years,  and  have  become  able  to  converse  with 
fluency  in  their  own  tongue,  but  this  can  be  said  with  regard  to  very  few  of  the  North 
western  tribes.  In  the  spring  of  1860,  some  Lutheran  missionaries  attempted  to  establish 
a  mission  school  and  farm  in  the  Crow  district,  near  the  eastern  base  of  the  Big  Horn 
Mountains,  but  they  had  been  in  that  country  but  a  few  months  before  the  principal  man 
of  the  enterprise,  Rev.  Mr.  Brauninger,  was  killed  by  a  roving  war  party  of  Dakotas,  and 
thus  the  attempt  to  civilize  the  Crows  was  abandoned.  Among  the  Blackfeet,  at  the 
present  time,  are  some  Catholic  priests,  who  are  laboring  to  instruct  the  youth  in  the 
English  language,  but  as  yet  nothing  has  been  done  toward  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  the 
native  tongue.  No  permanent  mission  station  has  ever  been  established  among  the  Assi- 

VOL.  XII. — 30 


'232  ON    THE    ETHNOGRAPHY    AND    PHILOLOGY    OF    THE 

niboins,  Minnitarees,  Mandans,  Arickares,  Shyennes,  Arapohos,  or  Dakotas  of  the  Missouri, 
and  with  the  exception  of  the  latter,  only  brief  vocabularies  of  the  languages  spoken  by 
these  nations  have  been  published. 

The  tribes  enumerated  in  this  work  have  been  separated  into  four  distinct  groups,  and 
it  is  believed  that  a  more  careful  study  and  comparison  of  their  different  dialects  will  only 
tend  to  confirm  this  division. 

I.  KNISTENEAUX,  OK  CREES,  -\ 
II.  BLACKFEET,  >     Algonkin  Group,  A. 

III.  SHYENNES,  ) 

IV.  AKAPOHOS,    i 

v      Arapoho  Group,  B. 
V.  ATSINAS,       ) 

VI.  PAWNEES,     i 

*>      Pawnee  Group,  C. 
VII.  ARIKARAS,    ) 

VIII.  DAKOTAS, 

IX.    ASSINIBOINS, 

X.  CROWS, 

XI.  MINNITAREES,  )     Dakota  Group,  U. 
XII.  MANDANS, 

XIII.  OMAHAS, 

XIV.  IOWAS, 

Belonging  to  the  last  group  are  the  Ponkas,  Otos,  Missourias,  Kansas,  Osages,  Inapaw, 
Winnibagos,  whose  languages  have  not  yet  been  studied  to  any  extent. 

I  atn  well  aware  how  incomplete  these  Contributions  are,  and  would  not  at  this  time 
suffer  their  publication,  did  I  not  believe  that  there  is  contained  in  them  much  useful  in 
formation  which  ought  to  be  given  to  the  world  in  advance  of  a  more  elaborate  work. 
In  stating  the  definitions  of  many  of  the  words,  I  have  often  used  the  peculiar  idioms  of 
those  Far-Western  men,  which  they  have  derived  from  long  intercourse  with  the  Indians, 
and  an  acquaintance  with  their  peculiar  modes  of  expression. 

In  obtaining  words  from  the  native  Indian,  the  object  is  not  to  labor  with  any  precon 
ceived  opinion  in  regard  to  their  meaning  or  their  grammatical  structure,  to  which  the 
mind  of  the  Indian  must  bend  in  giving  his  replies,  but  to  let  him  answer  freely,  and  then 
by  a  variety  of  cross  questions,  arrive  at  an  approximation  to  the  truth.  It  has  often  been 
a  matter  of  much  surprise  to  me,  how  much  of  the  grammatical  structure  of  a  language 
may  be  obtained  from  a  wholly  uneducated  but  intelligent  native  by  judicious  manage 
ment.  I  have  found  it  of  great  advantage  to  enlist  the  aid  of  the  chiefs  and  leading  men  in 
my  labors,  from  the  fact  that  they,  in  almost  all  cases,  take  great  pride  in  being  regarded  as 


INDIAN   TUIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY.  233 

the  censors  of  the  purity  with  which  their  language  is  spoken.  They  have  not  unfrequently 
told  me  that  all  the  words  obtained  from  certain  of  the  more  common  men  of  the  tribe 
were  useless,  inasmuch  as  they  did  not  speak  their  own  language  correctly.  Among  all 
the  tribes  with  which  1  have  been  acquainted,  physical  and  mental  superiority  have 
always  taken  the  lead  in  the  affairs  of  the  nation,  without  regard  to  birth,  and  this  is  a 
result  growing  out  of  the  nature  of  their  nomadic  and  precarious  life.  Life  to  them  is,  to 
a  great  extent,  a  struggle  for  existence,  and  therefore  the  position  of  an  Indian  in  his 
tribe  is  an  almost  certain  index  of  his  mental  status.  For  this  reason,  in  securing  informa 
tion  or  in  acquiring  the  language  of  a  tribe,  it  will  be  found  most  advantageous  to  consult 
only  the  chiefs  and  leading  men,  and  this  is  the  course  that  I  have  endeavored  to  pursue 
in  collecting  the  materials  for  this  memoir.  Whenever  I  have  been  obliged  to  accept  the 
aid  of  women  or  ordinary  men,  I  have  always  submitted  the  results  to  a  chief  to  be  veri 
fied  or  rejected. 

In  these  preliminary  papers,  the  orthography  employed  by  Mr.  Riggs  and  Professor 
Turner  in  the  Dakota  Grammar  and  Dictionary  published  by  the  Smithsonian  Institution, 
has  been  adopted  in  part.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  which 
takes  the  deepest  interest  in  all  researches  relating  to  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  of  our 
country,  will  recommend  some  uniform  system,  and  reduce  all  the  Indian  languages  to  a 
single  standard  of  pronunciation.  In  the  following  vocabularies,  the  consonants  are  used 
with  their  common  English  sounds,  when  it  could  be  done,  and  this  is  understood  when 
not  expressly  mentioned. 

a  is  sounded  as  in  ah,  father;  when  followed  by  a  consonant,  a*  is  used,  otherwise  it  is  short,  as  a  in  fat. 
e  has  the  sound  of  a  in  face,  or  e  in  they ;  short  when  followed  by  a  consonant,  as  in  met. 
?',  as  in  marine  ;  i  short  as  in  pin. 
o,  as  in  note,  or  short  o  as  in  got. 
u  as  oo  in  food  ;  short  as  in  hut. 
ai  has  the  sound  of  i  in  line, 
au,  as  in  now,  how. 

(•  has  the  aspirated  sound  of  ch  in  chin,  church. 
g  always  the  hard  sound,  as  in  go,  give. 

h  represents  a  strong  guttural  sound,  like  that  of  ch  in  the  Gaelic  word  LorTi,  or  the  German  irli  ;  also  re 
sembling  the  Arabic  kha. 

ij  denotes  the  nasal  sound,  similar  to  the  French  »  in  Ion,  or  the  English  n  in  drink. 

ks  has  the  sound  of  a:  in  maxim. 

ts  is  sounded  as  in  Betsy. 

wh  as  in  what,  when. 

i  has  the  sound  of  z  in  azure  or  s  in  measure. 

*  As  a  rule,  a  vowel  is  long  when  ending  a  syllabic,  and  short  when  followed  by  a  consonant.     The  exceptions 
to  this  rule  aro  indicated  thus  :  a,  long;   ii,  short. 


234  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

Any  additional  sounds  that  may  be  needed,  will  be  noted  at  the  'bottom  of  the  page  in 
succeeding  portions  of  the  work. 

All  the  syllables  are  separated,  for  greater  distinctness,  and  accented  when  it  could  be 
done  with  certainty.  The  accents  of  some  words  are  omitted,  from  neglect  when  securing 
them  in  the  country,  and  I  dare  not  trust  to  my  memory  to  remedy  the  matter  now. 

In  all  my  researches  in  the  Northwest,  most  important  aid  has  been  rendered  to  me  by 
the  different  members  of  the  American  Fur  Company.  All  their  stores  of  knowledge  of 
Indian  life,  language,  and  character,  which  they  had  acquired  by  years  of  intercourse  Avith 
the  different  tribes,  were  freely  imparted  to  me,  only  a  small  portion  of  which  is  given  in 
the  following  pages.  I  am  especially  indebted  to  Mr.  Alexander  Culbertson,  the  well- 
known  agent  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  who  has  spent  thirty  years  of  his  life  among 
the  wild  tribes  of  the  Northwest,  and  speaks  several  of  their  languages  with  great  ease. 
To  Mr.  Andrew  Dawson,  Superintendent  of  Fort  Benton,  Mr.  Charles  E.  Galpin,  of  Fort 
Pierre,  and  E.  T.  Denig,  of  Fort  Union,  I  am  under  great  obligations  for  assistance  freely 
granted  at  all  times. 

To  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  and  to  Professor  Henry,  I  am  indebted  for  rooms, 
books,  and  every  facility  that  could  be  afforded,  for  the  prosecution  of  my  studies.  The 
memoir  was  written  within  the  walls  of  the  Institution. 

I  wish  also  to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  the  veteran  author,  Mr.  H.  R.  School- 
craft,  for  the  loan  of  many  rare  books,  and  especially  to  Col.  Peter  Force  for  the  free  use 
of  rare  books  in  his  magnificent  collection,  without  access  to  which  the  present  work 
would  have  been  far  less  complete. 

The  Indian  reservations  were  located  on  the  map  under  the  direction  of  Hon.  Wm.  P. 
Dole,  the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs.  This  map  represents  the  latest  information  of 
that  Bureau. 


•     CHAPTER    II. 

ETHNOGRAPHICAL   HISTORY. 

I.   KNISTENEAUX,   OR   CREES. 

A  GREAT  difficulty  occurs  at  the  commencement  of  the  history  of  any  of  these  prairie 
tribes,  in  discovering  anything  of  ancient  date  of  a  reliable  character.  Among  people  where 
no  written  records  exist,  and  whose  only  method  of  preserving  their  national  history  is  oral 
tradition,  this,  after  being  handed  down  through  several  generations,  becomes  usually  so 
confused  and  fabulous  by  the  additions  and  fanciful  embellishments  of  the  several  narrators, 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    ^rALLEY.  235 

that  but  little  can  be  extracted  worthy  to  be  considered  of  historical  value.  In  regard  to 
the  Crees,  all  appears  obscure  farther  back  than  1760.*  At  any  rate,  events  said  to  have 
happened  prior  to  that  period,  narrated  by  different  persons,  differ  so  materially  as  to  be 
unworthy  of  note.  From  1760  down  to  the  present  time  the  history  of  the  Crees  can  be 
traced  with  a  fair  degree  of  certainty. 

So  much  has  already  been  written  in  regard  to  the  literature  of  the  Cree  language  with, 
its  cognate  Algonkin  dialects,  that  I  have  thought  it  unnecessary  to  present  a  resume  of 
its  bibliography  at  this  time,  but  pass  on  at  once  to  a  sketch  of  this  nation,  condensed  from 
information  obtained  from  some  of  the  most  intelligent  men  of  the  tribe.  I  will,  however, 
call  attention  to  a  rare  work"f  on  the  Cree  language,  by  Mr.  Joseph  Howse,  which  I  re 
gard  as  a  very  important  contribution  to  Indian  philology.  It  appears  to  be  a  thorough 
and  philosophical  analysis  of  the  grammatical  structure  of  the  language,  with  copious 
illustrations  from  the  Chippewa,  which  show  the  close  affinity  of  the  former  to  the  latter. 

The  Cree  nation  was  originally  a  portion  of  the  Chippewa,  as  the  similarity  of  language 
proves ;  and  even  now  they  are  so  mingled  with  the  latter  people  as  with  difficulty  to  be 
considered  a  distinct  tribe,  further  than  a  slight  difference  in  language  and  their  local 
position.  Their  name  for  the  tribe  in  their  own  tongue  is  Ne-a-ya-6g,  which  means, 
"  those  who  speak  the  same  tongue."  They  are  called  by  the  Assiniboins  Shi-4-ya,  by 
the  Dakotas  Shi-e-a-la,  and  by  other  neighboring  tribes,  as  the  Crows,  Blackfeet,  and 
Gros  Ventres  of  the  prairie,  nearly  the  same,  only  differing  a  little  in  the  pronunciation 
of  the  word  Shi-e-ya.  This  word  has  very  nearly  the  same  signification  among  the  Assi 
niboins  as  that  of  Ne-a-ya-6g  among  the  Crees.  Indeed,  the  word  Shi-e"-ya  being  Assini- 
boin,  could  have  no  other  meaning  as  a  derivation  among  other  tribes,  except  as  an 
appellation  of  the  native  Cree,  received  from  the  Dakotas  and  Assiniboins  where  it 
originated. 

Prior  to  the  year  1700  the  Crees  say  they  inhabited  a  district  much  farther  north  than 
at  present.  -Their  range  at  that  time  was  along  the  borders  of  Slave  and  Athabasca  Lakes, 

*  Since  writing  the  above  I  have  had  access  to  an  interesting  collection  of  voyages,  recently  published  under 
the  editorial  direction  of  Mr.  J.  G.  Shea,  of  New  York.  In  the  account  of  Le  Suaur's  voyage  up  the  Mississippi, 
1699-1700,  there  is  an  allusion  to  the  Crees  and  Assiniboins.  Le  Sueur  seems  to  have  been  an  Indian  trader, 
and  had  erected  a  trading  post  on  the  Mankato,  or  Blue  Earth  Kiver,  a  tributary  of  the  St.  Peter's  River.  These 
tribes  are  called  by  him  Christinaux  and  Assinipoils,  and  he  remarks  that  they  "  live  above  the  fort  on  the  east, 
more  than  eighty  leagues  up  the  Mississippi."  We  are  thus  able  to  ascertain  very  nearly  the  geographical  location 
of  these  two  tribes  more  than  one  hundred  and  sixty  years  ago.  The  Indians  themselves,  however,  can  give  no 
definite  information  of  their  movements  farther  back  than  the  period  mentioned  in  the  text. 

f  A  Grammar  of  the  Cree  Language,  with  which  is  combined  an  analysis  of  the  Chippewa  Dialect,  by  Joseph 
Howse,  Esq  ,  F.R  G.S.,  twenty  years  a  resident  in  Prince  Rupert's  Land,  in  the  service  of  the  Hon.  Hudson's 
Bay  Company;  pp.  324.  London,  1844. 


236  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY    AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

the  northern  end  of  Lake  Winnipeg,  and  stretching  along  the  Saskatchewan  by  a  chain  -of 
small  lakes,  in  the  direction  of  Hudson's  Bay,  though  never  reaching  the  latter  place. 
The  Chippewas,  on  the  other  hand,  spread  out  towards  Lake  Superior,  Lake  of  the  Woods, 
and  extended  as  low  down  as  Lakes  Huron,  Michigan,  and  Prairie  du  Chien. 

The  time  when  and  the  cause  why  the  Crees  separated  from  the  Chippewas  and  formed 
themselves  into  a  distinct  nation  are  now  lost ;  most  probably  the  division  was  of  very 
ancient  date,  and  arose  from  some  family  feud,  so  frequent  in  their  former  patriarchal  and 
primitive  condition.  The  reason  may  have  been  that  they  were  induced  by  superior 
hunting  advantages  presenting  themselves  in  that  district,  where  even  yet  the  woods 
abound  with  game,  and  the  rivers  and  lakes  are  well  stocked  with  beaver,  fish,  and  wild 
fowl.  Whatever  the  cause  of  the  separation  was,  it  is  now  not  remembered  ;  and  after 
long  and  bloody  wars  with  nations  still  farther  north,  they  were  obliged  to  retreat  south- 
westwardly,  where,  in  the  year  1760,  we  find  them  along  the  shores  of  Red  River  and  the 
lower  end  of  Lake  Winnipeg,  living  at  peace  with  the  Assiniboins,  who  then  joined  them 
and  entered  into  a  league,  offensive  and  defensive,  against  all  the  surrounding  nations 
except  the  Chippewas. 

About  the  year  1800  most  of  their  Assiniboin  allies  left  and  migrated  to  the  Missouri 
and  Yellowstone  Rivers,  though  even  yet  some  two  hundred  to  two  hundred  and  fifty 
lodges  live  with  the  Crees.  The  present  boundary  of  the  Cree  nation  is  nearly  as  follows : 
On  the  north  and  northwest  by  Red  River  and  Riviere  du  Pare ;  on  the  south  and  east  by 
Pembina  River ;  thence  west  to  the  Coteau  de  Prairie,  or  divide ;  thence  along  the  Coteau 
through  Woody,  Cypress,  Tinder,  and  Prickly  Pear  Mountains,  nearly  to  the  bank  of  the 
Saskatchewan ;  thence  to  Lake  Winnipeg  and  Red  River.  This  is  the  section  claimed  by 
them  as  their  own,  though  in  their  hunting  excursions  they  do  not  confine  themselves  to 
these  limits,  but  are  as  frequently  found  west  of  their  boundary,  in  the  country  of  the 
Assiniboins,  especially  if  buffalo  are  not  numerous  in  their  own  district.  Occasionally 
they  sell  their  robes  to  the  traders  on  the  Missouri,  but  most  of  the  fine  furs  they  collect 
they  carry  to  the  posts  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  established  in  their  territory. 

The  Crees  are  surrounded  on  the  east  by  the  Chippewas,  on  the  southeast  and  south  by 
the  Dakotas,  on  the  west  by  the  Assiniboins,  and  on  the  north  and  northwest  by  the  Gros 
Ventres  of  the  prairie  and  Blackfeet.  With  the  Assiniboins  and  Chippewas  they  have 
always  been  at  peace,  but  with  the  Blackfeet  and  Dakotas  they  have  Avaged  an  inveterate 
war  beyond  the  recollection  of  any  one  now  living,  varied  only  by  a  transient  peace  with 
a  portion  of  the  former  nation,  whom  they  sometimes  meet  and  hunt  with  near  the  Fort 
de  Prairie  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 

Before  the  small-pox  made  its  appearance  among  them  in  1776  or  '77,  the  Crees  num 
bered  about  eight  hundred  lodges,  one-half  of  whom,  it  is  estimated,  died  of  that  disease. 


INDIAN    TK1BES   OF    THE    MISSOURI    VALLEY.  237 

Since  that  time  they  have  gradually  increased,  particularly  those  bands  that  are  too  remote 
to  suffer  from  invading  foes.  At  this  time  (1856)  they  number  about  ten  or  eleven  hun 
dred  lodges,  averaging  four  souls  to  a  lodge,  making  a  total  of  between  four  and  five 
thousand  persons.  Like  most  of  the  tribes  in  the  Northwest  Territory,  they  are  separated 
into  clans  or  bands,  and  live  in  different  districts  for  greater  advantages  in  hunting.  The 
names  and  number  of  these  bands  are  as  follows:  Co-kali,  or  band  of  "  Eyes  Open,"  bear 
ing  the  name  of  the  chief  who  governs  it,  consists  of  one  hundred  lodges  and  upwards, 
who  reside  in  the  neighborhood  of  Lac  Qu'apelle  ;  live  in  skin  lodges  ;  hunt  and  trade  their 
skins  at  the  posts  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  Pe-i-si-e-kan,  or  "  Striped,"  is  composed 
of  forty  or  fifty  lodges ;  rove  and  hunt  near  Tinder  Mountains ;  live  in  skin  tents,  and 
trade  with  the  same  Company.  Pis-ka-kau-a-kis,  or  "  Magpies,"  are  about  thirty  lodges  ; 
are  stationed  at  Tinder  Mountain;  live  in  dirt  lodges  and  log-cabins ;  cultivate  the  soil  to 
some  extent,  and  raise  considerable  quantities  of  corn  and  potatoes ;  hunt  buffalo  during 
the  winter,  and  trade  also  with  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  Ki-a-sku-sis,  "  Small  Gulls," 
reside  around  the  fourth  lake  from  Lac  Qu'apelle ;  live  in  skin  tents ;  were  formerly  nu 
merous,  but  are  now  nearly  all  killed  off  by  the  Blackfeet,  they  being  nearest  of  all  the 
bands  to  this  large  and  fierce  nation  of  enemies.  At  this  time  the  number  is  thought  not 
to  exceed  thirty  or  forty  families. 

1.  Wik-yu-wam-ka-mus-e-nai-ka-ta, — "  The  Painted  Lodge." 

2.  Mus-kwoi-ka-ke-nut, — "  He  who  shoots  bears  with  arrows." 

3.  A-pis-te-kai-he, — "  The  Little  Eagle." 

4.  Mus-kwoi-kau-e-pa-wit, — "  Standing  Bear." 

The  above  are  the  names  of  four  chiefs  who  govern  each  a  small  band  which  takes  the 
same  name  as  its  leader.  These  bands  live  near  each  other  in  the  country  about  Fort  de 
Prairie,  and  trade  at  that  place.  They  number  in  all  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  to  one 
hundred  and  forty  lodges,  and  live  in  skin  tents. 

Ma-tai-tai-ke-6k,  or  "  Plusieurs  des  Aigles,"  known  among  the  traders  as  "  Le  Sonnant," 
is  chief  of  about  three  hundred  lodges,  who  roam  and  hunt  the  country  along  the  Mon 
tagues  des  Bois,  and  sometimes  trade  at  the  American  Fur  Company's  trading  post  on  the 
Missouri  lliver  near  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone,  but  more  frequently  at  some  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company's  forts  on  lied  Kiver.  The  band  of  She-mau-kau,  or  "  La  Lance," 
hunt  near  and  in  Cypress  and  Prickly  Pear  Mountains;  live  in  skin  tents;  occasionally 
visiting  the  Missouri  for  the  purposes  of  trade,  especially  if  opposition  runs  high  and 
goods  are  cheap,  otherwise  they  prefer  dealing  with  the  English  traders  in  their  country. 
This  is  the  largest  band,  and  contains  three  hundred  and  fifty  lodges.  Several  smaller 
bands  of  from  thirty  to  forty  lodges  each  are  found  every  winter  near  the  Woody  Moun- 


238  ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY    AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

tains.     They  generally  trade  their  robes  on  the  Missouri,  and  carry  their  fine  furs,  wolf 
skins,  dried  meat,  and  tallow,  to  the  traders  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 

Besides  the  foregoing  there  are  about  two  hundred  lodges  more  who  are  not  formed 
into  bands,  but  scattered  along  Lac  de  L'Isle  Croix,  and  live  by  hunting  reindeer,  moose, 
fish,  and  wild  fowl.  They  live  in  skin  tents  in  the  summer,  but  sometimes  build  log  and 
bark  huts  in  winter,  and  seldom  more  than  one  cabin  is  found  in  the  same  place.  These 
are  the  poorest  of  the  Crees. 

These  Indians  are  of  the  same  opinion  in  common  with  other  prairie  tribes,  that  the 
Master  of  Life,  the  sun,  intended  all  hunting  lands  for  the  sole  use  and  occupation  of  the 
Indians,  but  do  not  think  that  he  parcelled  out  distinct  portions  to  each  nation.  Land, 
as  far  as  their  knowledge  of  it  extends,  is  regarded  as  a  common  whole,  which  any  nation 
(of  Indians)  has  a  right  to  live  upon  and  retain  possession  of  as  large  a  district  as  they  are 
able  to  defend.  Their  right  to  their  own  territory  is  in  accordance  with  this  general 
principle,  contending  that  they  have  been  forced  back  from  superior  grounds  to  those  they 
now  inhabit,  and  consequently  they  have  the  right  in  turn  to  dislodge  others  for  their  own 
welfare.  All  nations  feel  and  acknowledge  the  expediency  and  necessity  for  seeking  a 
subsistence  any  and  everywhere,  as  long  as  they  are  dependent  solely  on  the  chase  for 
support ;  hence  the  deadly  struggles  on  the  borders  of  each  to  prevent  approximation. 
Each  nation  feels  that  it  must  make  war  to  prevent  others  from  settling  near  them,  and 
the  result  is,  that  between  each  nation  there  is  a  large  extent  of  neutral  ground,  seldom 
if  ever  traversed  except  by  passing  war  parties. 

The  Crees  do  not  seem  to  possess  any  idea,  either  by  tradition  or  otherwise,  from  which 
we  should  judge  that  whites  or  any  other  civilized  race  had  occupied  the  country  previous 
to  the  Indians ;  nor  have  they  any  knowledge  of  quadrupeds  foreign  to  America,  or  differ 
ing  from  those  now  hunted  and  domesticated  by  them.  They  have  no  name  for  the 
entire  continent,  neither  are  they  aware  of  its  extent.  They  will  mention  American  lands, 
English  possessions,  &c.,  but  these  terms  only  extend  to  those  parts  with  which  they  are 
acquainted. 

None  of  these  wild  tribes  have  any  just  idea  of  the  form  of  the  earth,  nor  of  its  natural 
divisions  into  seas,  continents,  islands,  &c.  The  earth  they  regard  as  a  great  plain,  and 
they  know  that  there  are  many  lakes  that  contain  islands,  for  the  Cree  country  abounds 
with  them.  All  the  nations  are  well  enough  acquainted  with  the  natural  features  of  their 
own  lands,  but  they  have  no  idea  of  the  extent  of  other  territories.  They  have  no  notion 
of  the  earth  as  a  whole,  and  the  ocean  they  think  is  a  large  lake,  from  the  description 
given  them  by  the  voyageurs  of  that  body  of  water.  Indeed,  they  have  a  very  faint  idea 
of  any  lands  or  "waters  outside  of  the  boundaries  of  the  district  over  which  they  range ; 
and  when  the  voyageurs,  who  have  been  sent  out  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  to  the 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 

sea-coast,  describe  to  them  the  great  ocean,  they  are  not  generally  disposed  to  place  any 
confidence  in  their  statements. 

The  principal  river  in  the  Cree  country  is  the  Riviere  du  Pare,  which  takes  its  rise  from 
springs  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  east  of  the  Missouri,  and,  running  in  a  northeastern 
direction,  empties  into  Lake  Winnipeg.  In  regard  to  its  length,  our  informant,  who  has 
frequently  travelled  from  its  mouth  to  its  source,  states  it  to  be  sixty-seven  days'  travel  up 
in  Mackinaw  boats ;  which,  averaging  eighteen  miles  per  day,  would  make  its  whole  navi 
gable  length  about  twelve  hundred  miles,  and  from  the  head  of  navigation  to  its  source 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  farther.  Small  boats  are  taken  up  this  river  at  all  times, 
when  it  is  free  from  ice,  to  within  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  its  source,  where  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  have  erected  a  fort,  called  "  Fort  Cassepierre,"  at  which  point  goods 
are  landed  for  the  trade  with  the  Crees  in  that  vicinity.  This  is  the  highest  post  on  the 
river,  though  there  are  other  trading-houses  at  different  points  lower  down  the  stream.  The 
middle  portion  of  this  river  is  about  three  hundred  yards  in  width ;  at  its  mouth  it  is 
nearly  a  mile  wide,  and  generally  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  deep,  and  contains  one  hundred 
and  sixty  rapids  and  falls  of  various  heights ;  at  all  of  which  the  goods  which  are  taken 
up,  or  the  packs  of  furs  which  pass  down,  are  carried  round  by  portage.  On  this  account, 
all  packages  are  made  to  weigh  ninety-five  pounds  each.  These  are  transported  on  the 
backs  of  voyageurs  around  the  falls,  and  at  large  or  dangerous  rapids  the  boats  are  also 
carried,  otherwise  they  are  let  gently  down  after  having  been  unloaded. 

Assiniboin  River  takes  its  rise  on  the  north  side  of  the  Woody  Mountains,  and  after 
running  through  several  lakes,  empties  into  Lake  Winnipeg.  Its  entire  length,  including 
the  lakes,  is  estimated  at  four  hundred  miles.  There  are  no  rapids  in  this  river,. and  it 
is  navigable  throughout  with  Mackinaw  boats,  in  which  the  goods  and  peltries  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  are  carried  to  and  from  the  different  posts  along  its  banks. 

Red  River  is  a  branch  of  the  Assiniboin  River,  emptying  into  it  about  forty  miles  above 
the  junction  of  the  latter  with  Lake  Winnipeg.  This  is  called  "  The  Fork,"  and  on  it  is 
established  one  of  the  largest  forts  belonging  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  The  prin 
cipal  branch  of  Red  River  rises  in  Red  Lake ;  it  is  from  fifty  to  sixty  yards  wide,  with  a 
deep  and  slow  current.  The  other  branch  heads  in  Lake  Traverse,  and  joins  the  first 
about  one  hundred  miles  above  the  mouth  of  Pembina  River.  This  is  called  the  "  Plat 
Cote"  branch,  and  is  not  navigable  for  boats  except  during  spring  freshets,  and  even  then 
it  is  attended  with  much  danger. 

Pembina  River  rises  in  Turtle  Mountain,  its  sources  soon  forming  a  lake  ;  after  which 
it  passes  through  four  other  lakes.  It  is  a  long,  crooked  stream,  full  of  rapids,  and  is  not 
navigable  by  any  craft  larger  than  a  bark  canoe.  It  empties  into  Red  River,  eighty  miles 
VOL.  xir. — 31 


240  ON    THE    ETHNOGRAPHY    AND    PHILOLOGY    OF    TUE 

above  the  junction  of  that  river  with  the  Assiniboin.     Nine  miles  above  its  mouth,  and 
spread  along  its  banks,  is  a  settlement  of  the  Cree  half-breeds. 

La  lliviere  aux  Souris  owes  its  origin  to  springs  rising  in  the  Coteau  de  Prairie,  or 
"  divide."  This  is  a  long  and  very  crooked  stream ;  so  much  so,  we  are  informed,  that 
after  seven  days'  travel  down  it,  a  distance  of  not  more  than  thirty  miles  in  a  right  line 
has  been  gained.  Its  length  is  estimated  at  six  hundred  miles;  it  is  from  one  hundred 
to  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  wide,  but  very  shallow,  and  is  not  navigable  except  when 
swollen  by  the  spring  thaws,  when  it  may  be  descended  with  loaded  Mackinaws.  It  joins 
Assiniboin  River  ninety  miles  above  the  mouth  of  Red  River,  and  there  are  five  trading- 
posts  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  along  its  banks. 

These  are  the  principal  rivers  in  the  Cree  country,  although  there  are  many  others 
running  into  these.  Along  the  banks  of  all,  and  indeed  throughout  the  whole  of  this 
immense  district,  are  a  great  many  springs  of  excellent  water,  many  of  which  might  afford 
power  for  machinery ;  others  are  impregnated  with  salt,  from  which  an  abundant  supply 
of  this  article  is  obtained  by  the  inhabitants.  Nearly  all  the  lakes  of  the  larger  class  are 
deep  enough  for  good-sized  steamers,  and  are  stocked  with  incredible  quantities  of  fish 
and  wild  fowl. 

All  the  territory  claimed  by  the  Crees,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  square  miles  near 
its  southeastern  boundary,  is  beyond  the  parallel  of  49°,  and  consequently  in  the  English 
possessions.  The  general  surface  of  the  country  is  what  may  be  called  rolling,  though 
there  are  extensive  level  prairies  in  some  parts  of  it.  As  a  whole  it  forms  a  gradual  descent 
from  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  east  of  the  Missouri,  including  several  mountains 
of  smaller  note,  which  give  rise  to  the  rivers  and  creeks  running  in  every  direction  through 
the  interior,  thus  cutting  up  the  surface.  At  the  base  of  many  of  the  hills  and  mountains 
from  which  springs  flow  are  found  marshes,  or  what  are  called  by  the  inhabitants  "  mus 
kegs,"  of  various  extent,  from  a  few  miles  to  a  day's  travel  across,  depending  upon  the 
supply  of  water  by  which  they  are  fed,  or  whether  the  surface  of  the  ground  is  level  and 
without  any  indented  outlet.  These  swamps  are,  for  the  most  part,  covered  with  tall,  strong 
grass,  growing  very  thick,  six  or  eight  feet  high,  sometimes  with  rushes  intermingled  ;  but 
the  ground,  though  humid,  is  not  miry,  and  can  in  most  places  be  traversed  on  horseback. 
All  the  rivers  are  well  wooded  along  their  margins,  and  groves  occur  on  the  adjoining 
bluffs  arid  for  some  distance  beyond,  often  extending  several  miles  when  the  soil  is  moist 
and  adapted  to  the  growth  of  trees.  On  the  level  plains  patches  of  timber  are  to  be  met 
with,  being  more  numerous  and  larger  in  the  northern  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  dis 
trict.  Although  there  is  more  prairie  than  woodland,  it  is  by  no  means  a  barren  country, 
and  differs  materially  in  quality  of  soil  and  appearance  from  the  Dakota  lands,  which 
continue  on  the  east  and  southeast,  where  all  the  plains  are  dry  and  unfruitful. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY.  241 

The  soil  of  the  whole  Cree  district  is  of  a  good  quality,  as  has  been  shown  by  the 
agriculturists  settled  along  the  banks  of  lied  and  Pembina  Rivers,  and  the  small  band  of 
Cree  Indians  who  raise  maize  and  other  vegetables  at  Tinder  Mountain.  The  half-breed 
settlement  on  lied  River  contains  at  this  time  over  eight  thousand  persons,  many  of  whom 
cultivate  the  soil  and  raise  live  stock  to  a  great  extent ;  but  owing  to  their  locality  being 
subject  to  -inundations  from  lied  River  during  the  spring  thaws,  sweeping  off  their  stock 
and  other  property,  many  of  them  have  been  induced  to  remove  and  settle  on  Pembina 
River  within  the  American  boundary,  where  they  live  by  hunting  and  cultivating  small 
portions  of  land.  Many  more  of  these  people  will  follow,  and  soon  a' village  will  spring 
up  in  this  place.  There  are  at  the  present  time  a  Catholic  and  a  Presbyterian  church, 
schools,  grist  and  saw  mills,  several  stores  and  trading  establishments,  &c. ;  indeed,  the 
country  presents  many  advantages  which  cannot  fail  to  attract  the  attention  of  numerous 
restless  emigrants  in  search  of  lands  flowing  with  milk  and  honey.  Wheat,  oats,  barley, 
and  corn  grow  well ;  also  potatoes  and  all  kinds  of  garden  vegetables  are  produced  abun 
dantly  ;  but  as  yet,  no  market  being  created  for  their  surplus  grain  and  stock,  the  attention 
of  settlers  on  the  American  side  has  not  been  directed  to  farming  on  a  large  scale.  Those 
on  the  English  side  dispose  of  a  portion  of  their  produce  and  stock  to  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company,  who  ship  it  to  other  parts  farther  north,  where  breadstuff's  are  not  raised ;  but 
only  a  small  part  is  thus  disposed  of,  the  greater  portion  being  consumed  among  them 
selves. 

It  is  believed  that  the  whole  Cree  district  is  arable  and  fit  for  tilling  or  grazing  pur 
poses,  both  prairie  and  woodland,  though  the  latter  perhaps  is  not  as  good  as  the  low  prairie, 
on  which  the  spontaneous  grasses  of  the  most  nutritious  character  grow.  But  the  small 
rushes,  common  to  the  low  grounds  in  this  country,  are  said  to  be  more  nutritious  for 
animals  than  any  kind  of  grain.  A  very  poor  horse  will  become  fat  if  allowed  to  range 
among  them  twenty-five  or  thirty  days.  Notwithstanding  the  high  latitude  of  the  country 
the  domestic  animals  are  not  usually  housed  during  the  severe  cold  winter;  and  those  left 
to  run  at  large  are  said  to  be  invariably  in  a  better  condition  in  the  spring  than  those  kept 
in  stables  and  fed  on  grain.  Indeed,  this  region  is  known  to  be  one  of  the  best  grazing 
and  grain-growing  countries  in  North  America.  Horned  cattle  and  horses  are  raised  in 
numbers,  with  a  few  sheep,  but  the  latter  are  not  much  attended  to. 

Where  springs  and  streams  are  not  convenient,  water  can  be  obtained  by  digging  from 
ten  to  thirty  feet  in  level  places,  and  the  water  thus  found  is  free  from  any  mineral  taste, 
and  suitable  for  culinary  purposes.  The  portions  designated  as  marshes  are  not  useless  or 
irreclaimable ;  on  the  contrary,  the  waters  accumulating  in  these  swamps  could  be  collected 
and  made  subservient  to  agricultural  uses.  The  soil  in  these  places  is  of  the  richest  quality, 
and  would  soon  repay  the  expense  of  draining  did  the  increase  of  population  demand  it. 


242  ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY    AND    PHILOLOGY    OF    THE 

In  most  places  where  the  country  is  thickly  timbered,  the  ground  underneath  is  covered 
with  moss  and  bushes,  but  with  little  or  no  grass.  It  is  only  in  such  places  and  for  that 
reason  that  the  soil  sustains  any  damage  from  the  burning  of  the  prairies.  The  moss 
forming  the  sod  being  reduced  to  a  cinder  by  the  fire,  the  roots  are  destroyed,  and  several 
years  must  elapse  before  another  coat  of  green  adorns  it ;  which,  like  the  preceding,  is 
destined  to  be  burned  when  the  fire  passes  in  that  direction.  The  vegetation  of  the 
prairie,  however,  receives  no  such  damage ;  being  deeply  rooted  the  stalk  only  burns,  and 
the  heat  is  swept  away  by  the  winds ;  the  roots  retain  their  life ;  and  soon  after  another 
crop  springs  up  more  lively  and  thick  than  the  former,  owing  to  the  surface  being  cleared, 
by  the  fires,  of  the  decayed  vegetation.  The  large  timber,  however,  suffers  greatly  on 
these  occasions.  Vast  forests  are  thus  completely  destroyed,  and  centuries  will  be  required 
to  replace  them. 

The  burning  of  the  prairies  is  not  a  custom  resorted  to  by  the  Indians  to  facilitate 
hunting,  as  is  generally  supposed.  Nothing  offends  them  more,  and  their  laws  among 
themselves  are  very  severe  in  this  matter,  as  it  effectually  destroys  their  hunting  by  driving 
away  all  game,  and  renders  the  country  unfit  for  pasturage  during  the  winter  when  burnt 
late  in  the  fall.  These  fires  originate,  for  the  most  part,  in  the  carelessness  of  hunters 
and  travellers,  by  the  malice  of  individuals,  or  passing  war  parties  of  other  nations.  Some 
times  these  fires  are  very  destructive,  and  sweep  over  districts  hundreds  of  miles  in  extent ; 
on  other  occasions  they  are  extinguished  by  rains,  snow,  or  the  wind  blowing  in  the 
contrary  direction.  A  few  years  ago  a  large  party  of  half-breeds  camped  near  a  frozen 
swamp  and  let  their  horses  loose  among  the  tall  grass.  Their  camp  fires  by  some  accident 
communicated  with  the  grass,  and  the  wind  being  very  strong,  all  their  horses,  to  the 
number  of  two  hundred  or  more,  were  surrounded  by  the  flames  and  destroyed. 

The  climate  may  be  considered  variable,  not  in  regard  to  heat  and  cold,  but  moisture 
and  dryness.  Cold  and  constant  northeast  winds  in  the  spring  bring  rain,  and  from  May 
until  the  last  of  June  may  be  called  the  wet  season.  In  July  and  August  there  are  no 
settled  rains  for  days  at  a  time,  but  violent  thunderstorms  come  from  the  west  and  south 
west,  which  in  a  few  hours  swell  the  smaller  streams  to  the  top  of  the  banks,  though 
seldom  to  overflowing.  Red  River,  being  the  grand  reservoir  of  all  the  others,  is  the  only 
stream  that  inundates  the  surrounding  country.  This  inundation  is  seldom  caused  by 
rain,  but  only  by  the  sudden  thawing  of  the  deep  snow  in  the  spring.  Severe  thunder 
storms  seldom  last  more  than  an  hour  or  two,  when  the  clouds  pass  away,  the  sun  shines 
out  fiercely,  and  soon  the  prairies  are  as  dry  as  before.  These  storms  are  of  frequent 
occurrence  in  the  summer  months,  but  the  autumn  is  dry  and  pleasant.  About  the  tenth 
of  September  the  evenings  and  mornings  become  cool  and  frost  appears.  October  ushers 
in  the  winter  with  snow ;  the  rivers  close  up  about  the  first  of  November,  and  remain 


INDIAN    TUIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY.  243 

• 

fro/en  over  until  the  middle  of  April.  The  snow  is  deep,  the  months  of  December, 
January,  and  February  very  cold,  the  thermometer  seldom  rising  above  zero,  but  rang 
ing  from  that  point  to  40°  below  it.  During  the  winter  north  and  northwest  winds 
prevail,  which  always  bring  snow,  while  at  that  season  south  and  west  winds  indicate 
clear  weather.  All  travelling  and  hunting  by  the  Indians  and  half-breeds  in  the  winter 
season  is  done  with  dog-sleds,  horses  not  being  able  to  wade  through  the  deep  snow.  The 
hunters  travel  about  on  snow-shoes.  The  snow  is  never  permitted  when  it  falls  to  lie 
quietly  on  the  ground,  but  is  soon  drifted  by  the  winds  into  immense  banks,  and  every 
valley  and  ravine  becomes  almost  impassable.  Thus  large  areas  are  left  bare,  exposing  the 
grass  to  the  animals.  The  climate  is  quite  healthy ;  fevers  are  almost  unknown,  but  ex 
posure  for  a  long  time  in  the  cold  air  brings  on  catarrh,  rheumatism,  quinsy,  and  diseases 
of  the  lungs. 

On  one  of  the  branches  of  lied  River,  and  near  the  new  settlement  of  Pembina,  is  a 
small  lake,  from  which  two  hundred  barrels  of  salt  have  been  obtained  by  the  inhabitants. 
Lignite  occurs  quite  abundantly  over  a  large  portion  of  the  Cree  country,  and  may  at  some 
future  period  be  employed  for  the  purposes  of  fuel. 

These  immense  plains  and  forests  are  alike  silent  as  to  their  having  been  anciently  the 
abode  of  any  race  differing  from  the  present  occupants.  Nothing  is  ever  seen  that  would 
indicate  that  this  country  had  ever  been  the  residence  of  other  nations  of  savages,  much 
less  any  works  of  human  industry  of  civilized  beings  at  a  remote  period.  The  only  ob 
jects  worthy  of  attention  in  this  respect,  are  the  mounds  of  earth  raised  by  the  interments 
of  the  dead ;  but  these  have  been  formed  within  the  last  century,  and  are  known  to  con 
tain  the  bodies  of  those  Indians  who  died  of  the  small-pox  in  1776  or  1777. 

Hundreds  of  bodies  have  been  buried  beneath  them,  or,  rather,  the  mounds  are  com 
posed  of  many  separate  burials,  alongside,  and  over  each  other ;  and  persons  are  yet 
living  who  contributed  to  their  structure,  by  interring  their  parents  or  friends.  During 
the  second  visitation  of  this  disease  in  1838,  several  smaller  depositories  of  this  kind  were 
made  by  the  Crees ;  a  comparatively  small  number  of  people  having  died  at  that  time. 
These  facts  may  throw  light  upon  the  origin  of  these  formations  in  other  parts  of  our 
country.  Ordinarily,  Indians  are  not  buried  in  heaps  ;  because,  when  not  visited  by 
severe  maladies,  they  rove  in  quest  of  game,  are  a  healthy  people,  and  seldom  more  than 
one  or  two  graves  are  seen  near  any  one  of  their  transient  encampments ;  and  even  where 
large  villages  have  wintered,  the  interments  do  not  often  exceed  ten  or  a  dozen.  But, 
when  a  pestilence  like  the  small-pox  prevails,  attacking  the  whole  nation  at  the  same 
time,  they  are  disabled  from  travel,  obliged  to  remain  stationary  until  the  disease  abates, 
and  thus  hundreds  are  consigned  to  the  same  burial-ground.  In  former  years,  the  Indians 
could  not  excavate  to  a  sufficient  depth,  for  want  of  proper  tools ;  and,  therefore,  as  each 


244  ON    THE    KTHNOGHAP11Y    AND    PHILOLOGY    OF    THE 

• 

individual  died,  he  was  interred  near  the  surface,  and  the  spot  covered  with  a  large  quan 
tity  of  rock  and  earth  to  protect  the  body  from  birds  and  beasts  of  prey.  The  disposition 
of  all  the  Indians  is  to  have  their  bodies  deposited  near  those  of  their  deceased  relatives, 
or  even  on  the  top  of  them ;  and  this  would,  in  process  of  time,  build  up  a  large  mound- 
like  cemetery,  which  would  also  become  covered  with  grass  and  trees.  It  is  evident,  that 
the  extensive  mounds  found  in  different  parts  of  this  continent,  have  been  formed  in  this 
manner,  where  large  villages  of  Indians  have  been  located  for  years,  and  selected  a  spot 
for  their  burial-ground.  The  size  of  these  mounds  is  not  remarkable,  since  they  took, 
perhaps,  a  century  or  more  to  accumulate ;  but  where  a  numerous  population  existed,  and 
were  swept  off  by  pestilence,  each  interment  contributing  its  quantity  of  earth  and  rock,  a 
mound  of  large  size  would  soon  appear.  As  it  has  always  been  the  custom,  and  still  is, 
for  the  North  American  tribes  to  bury  with  their  dead,  if  a  man,  his  implements  of  war, 
if  a  woman,  her  domestic  utensils,  these  depositories,  if  carefully  opened,  and  the  different 
strata  of  burial  examined,  would  exhibit  the  different  stages  of  advancement,  pro 
viding  they  had  made  any.  The  only  change  we  now  know  anything  of,  is  the  aban 
donment  of  their  stone  implements,  as  soon  as  they  were  able  to  obtain  metallic  ones. 
The  Cree  nation  always  inter  their  dead,  in  preference  to  placing  them  in  the  forks  of 
trees,  as  is  the  custom  with  other  tribes.  The  grave  is  scarcely  of  sufficient  depth  to 
cover  the  body,  which,  with  the  envelopes  and  implements,  is  of  considerable  bulk.  A 
pile  of  earth  and  stone  is  raised,  around  and  on  the  top,  in  the  form  of  a  cone,  fifteen  to 
twenty  feet  in  circumference,  and  two  to  four  feet  in  height.  The  arms  and  utensils 
used  by  this  tribe  in  ancient  times,  were,  pots  of  stone  ;  arrow-points,  spear-heads, 
hatchets,  and  other  edged  tools,  of  flint ;  knives  of  the  buffalo  hump  rib ;  fish-hooks  from 
sturgeon-bones,  and  awls  from  the  bones  of  the  moose ;  the  fibres  of  the  root  of  the  pine 
tree,  called  by  them  wa-tah,  was,  and  is  still  to  some  extent,  used  as  twine  for  sewing 
together  their  bark  canoes ;  a  kind  of  thread  is  also  made  out  of  a  weed  called  sha-a-sup, 
which  they  use  for  making  nets ;  stone  axes  and  mallets  were  made  of  various  sizes,  and 
used  for  different  household  purposes ;  spoons,  called  mi-kwoi-yis,  and  pans,  were  made 
out  of  the  horns  of  the  moose.  Of  all  these,  there  yet  remain  a  few,  but  most  of  them 
have  been  laid  aside  for  more  convenient  ones  obtained  from  the  traders.  Bone  fish 
hooks  and  awls,  with  lines  made  of  the  aforementioned  root  and  plant,  are  still  in  use, 
and  preferred  by  the  Indians  to  those  of  European  manufacture.  '  They  also  cling  with 
great  tenacity  to  the  horn  spoon ;  perhaps  for  the  reason  that  it  is  larger,  and  better 
adapted  to  serve  their  capacious  stomachs.  The  process  of  manipulation  by  which  these 
things  were  wrought,  was  chiselling  one  stone  with  another,  until  the  flint  knife  was 
made,  with  which  other  instruments  were  formed ;  a  process,  doubtless,  long  and  tedious. 
The  art  is  now  lost,  or,  at  least,  discontinued ;  but  we  are  informed  that  it  w;is  not  con- 


INDIAN    T1UBES   OF    THE    MISSOURI    VALLEV.  245 

fined  to  separate  individuals,  as  a  trade  :  each  warrior  or  hunter  made  his  own  arms,  or 
employed  some  old  man  to  make  them,  whose  time  was  of  less  value. 

The  amount  of  their  knowledge  on  this  subject  is  small,  even  less  than  that  of  the  sur 
rounding  nations.  They  believe  the  earth  to  be  an  extensive  territory  of  the  same  figure 
as  their  own  country,  intersected  by  rivers,  mountains,  lakes,  and  surrounded  by  oceans, 
the  whole  forming,  as  it  were,  a  fiat  circle,  joined  around  the  edge  to  the  sky,  which  is  a 
solid  mass  of  blue  earth  supporting  the  entire  universe.  The  sun,  they  say,  is  a  body  of 
light  and  heat,  and  is  the  great  master  of  life,  gives  life,  heat,  and  light  to  all  things,  and 
is  a  country  inhabited  by  departed  spirits.  The  moon  also  they  regard  as  another  world, 
but  not  a  hot  body,  deriving  its  light  from  the  sun  and  stars,  and  in  the  sun  and  moon  is 
located  the  Indian  paradise.  Stars  are  small  lights  attached  as  by  a  cord  to  the  sky,  and 
are  not  supposed  to  be  other  worlds,  but  ornaments  and  luminaries  to  the  upper  regions. 
The  Milky  Way  is  called  the  "  Chief's  Road,"  and  is  thought  to  be  a  line  of  division 
separating  the  sky  into  two  portions.  This  was  done  by  their  Great  Spirit  Chief  for  pur 
poses  set  forth  in  their  traditions,  which  are  too  lengthy  to  be  recounted  here.  The  sun 
is  thought  to  go  round  the  earth,  which  remains  stationary ;  and  every  effort  proves  abor 
tive  to  make  them  understand  that  the  apparent  motion  arises  from  the  diurnal  revolution 
of  the  earth.  When  the  sun  is  in  an  eclipse,  they  say  a  portion  of  the  material  is  burned 
up, — dead, — and  this  is  what  is  meant  by  a  "  dead  sun,"  but  they  entertain  no  supersti 
tious  fears  of  eclipses  being  the  forerunners  of  great  evil,  as  other  nations,  and  look  upon 
the  extinction  of  a  part  as  the  natural  result  of  a  burning  body,  which,  as  it  exists  of 
itself,  has  the  power  to  burn  again.  The  North  Star  is  called  the  stationary  star ;  the  Ursa 
Major,  the  "  tail  of  stars."  These  are  all  that  have  particular  names  attached.  They 
are  also  aware  of  the  revolution  of  the  Ursa  Major  around  the  Polar  Star,  and  can  tell 
the  watches  of  night  by  this  with  tolerable  certainty.  The  Aurora  Borealis  is  called  the 
"  dance  of  the  dead,"  who  are  supposed  to  be  enjoying  themselves  in  these  regions. 
Meteors  are  stars  falling  out  of  their  places  by  having  the  cords  burned  that  attach  them 
to  the  sky,  and  go  out  as  they  fall.  In  regard  to  comets  they  have  no  clear  idea,  neither 
have  they  any  superstitious  belief  attending  their  appearance.  Indeed,  these  Indians  do 
not  seem  to  fear  any  natural  phenomena  except  thunder,  which  is  supposed  to  be  the 
screaming  and  flapping  of  the  wings  of  a  large  bird,  which  they  represent  on  their  lodges 
as  a  great  eagle.  Wind  is  supposed  to  be  produced  by  its  flying,  and  flashes  of  lightning 
are  caused  by  the  light  of  the  sun  reflected  from  its  white  and  golden  plumage,  and  when 
strokes  of  lightning  are  felt,  they  are  thunder-stones  cast  down  by  this  bird.  All  storms, 
tornadoes,  &c.,  are  caused  by  its  wrath,  and  fair  winds,  calm  and  fine  weather,  are  regarded 
as  tokens  of  its  good  humor. 

The  Crees  have  no  word  signifying  a  year,  neither  is  there  any  stated  number  of  days 


246  ON    THE    ETHNOGRAPHY   AND  PHILOLOGY    OK   THE 

forming  that  period  of  time.  Each  month  begins  when  the  new  moon  appears,  and  ends 
when  it  is  no  more  seen.  During  the  few  days  the  moon  is  invisible,  it  is  said  to  be  dead. 
They  cannot  even  tell  how  many  days  make  a  moon,  and  all  subdivisions  of  time  are  de 
noted  by  the  different  phases  of  the  moon,  as  "moon  on  the  increase"  (first  quarter), 
"  half  moon"  (second  quarter),  "  more  than  half  round"  (third  quarter),  "  full  or  round 
moon,"  "  decreasing  moon,"  "  small  moon,"  "  dead  moon."  Every  moon  is  named  after 
some  fruit  ripening,  or  other  invariable  annual  occurrence,  as  follows,  beginning  with  the 
spring  some  time  in  March,  when  the  snow  begins  to  disappear. 

1.  Is-ke-pe-sim,  Duck  month  or  moon.  8.  Pin-pa-kdn-o-pe-siui,  Leaves  off  the  trees. 

2.  A-ik-e-pe-sim,  Frog  moon.  9.  Na-ma-pi-ne-kais,  Fish-catching  moon. 

3.  Sha-ke-pa-ka-o-pe-sim,  Leaf  moon.  10.  Pa-pa-ke-se-kin-e  kis,  Moon  that  strikes  the  earth 

4.  Me-ne-sa-kd-tik-tuk-e,  Service  berries  ripe.  cold. 

5.  N6-tse-hi-kd-pe-sim,  Buffalo-rutting  moon.  11.  Kis-ki-pd-pa-ke-tek-e-num,  Coldest  moon. 

6.  Wa-ke-pa-kdn-o-pe-sim,  Leaves-changing  moon.  12.  Ka-mak-e-tuh-pe-siui,  Ice-thawing  moon. 

7.  Wa-sta-o-pa-kd  wo-pe-sim,  Leaves  entirely  changed.      13.  Me-ke-su'-e-pe-sim,  Eagles-seen  (moon). 

The  other  divisions  of  time  are  as  follows : 

Pa  tak-pdw,  Daybreak.  Wa-wa-ne-nd-kwon,  Twilight. 

Pe-e-sini-sdk-o-ta-o,  Sunrise.  Te-pis-kd-o,  Night. 

A-pe-tdk-e-se-kdu-o,  Midday.  A-pis-td-te-ka-o,  Midnight. 

Pa-kis-e-mo",  Sunset.  We-pd-a-sta-o,  Moonlight. 

Any  intermediate  period  of  time  would  be  indicated  by  pointing  with  the  finger  to  the 
place  where  the  sun  is  supposed  to  be  at  the  time  referred  to. 

One,  pe-e"t.  Seventeen,  me-ti-ta-ta-u-wd-ta-pd-ko. 

Two,  ni-shi.  Eighteen,  me-ta-ta-ta-u-wa-a-a-na-ne-o. 

Three,  ni-sto.  Nineteen,  me-td-ta-ta-u-wd-ka-ka-we-td-tat. 

Four,  na-6.  Twenty,  ne-si-ta-no. 

Five,  ne-un-un.  Twenty-one,  ne-si-ta-n<5-pe-et-o-sap. 

Six,  gii-to-wa-shik.  Thirty,  ni-st6-mi-ta-no. 

Seven,  ta-pa-k<5.  Forty,  na-mi-ta-no. 

Eight,  a-ha-nd-ne-o.  Fifty>  ne-a-nu-na-rni-ta-no. 

Nine,  ka-kd-we-ta-tat.  Sixty,  gu-to-wd-se-mi-ta-no. 

Ten,  mi-ta-tat.  Seventy,  ta-pa-o-ta-te-mi-ta-no. 

Eleven,  pa-ii-kwo-sap.  Eighty,  a-a-nd-na-ta-ta-mi-ta-no. 

Twelve,  n6-so-sap.  Ninety,  ka-kd-me-ta-ta-te-mi-ta-no. 

Thirteen,  nish-to-sap.  One  hundred,  me-ta-ta-sta-mi-ta-no. 

Fourteen,  na-o-sap.  Five  hundred,  ne-a-niin-me-td-tas-ta-mi-td-no. 

Fifteen,  ne-d-nun-sap.  One  thousand,  kis-c'e'-me-ta-tds-ta-mi-td-no. 

Sixteen,  gu-to-wd  she-sap.  Ten  thousand,  me-td-tat-kis-(^e-me-td-tas-ta-mi-ta  no. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY.  247 

It  is  seen  by  the  above  that  the  Crees,  as  is  the  case  with  most  if  not  all  the  Northwest 
tribes,  count  entirely  by  tens.  From  one  to  ten,  each  number  has  a  separate  name,  but 
afterwards  the  word  "  sap"  is  added,  meaning  beyond,  as,  pa-a-kwo-sap,  one  beyond  ten,= 
eleven ;  ne-so-sap,  two  beyond  tcn,=twelve ;  and  so  on  until  we  reach  seventeen,  when  the 
name  for  ten  and  for  seven  is  mentioned,  as  me-ta-ta-ta-fi-wa-ta-pa-ko.  This  continues 
to  twenty,  which  becomes  ne-si-ta-no,  and  to  it  are  prefixed  the  names  of  the  first  ten 
numerals  in  their  order  up  to  thirty,  &c.  'They  can  count  with  correctness  as  far  as  a 
thousand,  but  farther  than  this,  they  have  very  little  occasion  to  enumerate.  Should  it 
become  necessary,  they  use  small  sticks  as  counters,  to  prevent  confusion.  They  have  no 
number  representing  a  million,  nor  do  they  add,  subtract,  or  divide,  without  the  use  of 
counters  to  aid  their  memory. 

It  is  customary  with  the  traders  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  to  facilitate  hunting  by 
crediting  the  Indians  for  small  amounts,  varying  according  to  the  character  of  the  person 
credited.  Indians  that  have  always  paid  their  debts  promptly  can  get  advances  to  the 
amount  of  thirty  plues,  while  others  of  more  doubtful  reputation  are  credited  Avith  an 
amount  sufficiently  large  to  enable  them  to  hunt,  say  five  to  ten  plues.  A  plue  is  an  imagi 
nary  amount  placed  on  the  value  of  skins,  equal  to  about  two  shillings  sterling.  The  pro 
ceeds  of  all  hunts  are  reckoned  in  plues,  and  the  prices  of  merchandise  are  fixed  to  conform 
to  this  standard,  by  which  the  Indians  are  able  to  calculate  with  certainty  how  much  of 
each  article  they  will  receive  for  furs  collected.  The  traders'  accounts  are  kept  in  the  fol 
lowing  manner. 

DR.                                                          Le  C/icf  ihi  Tonnerrc.      Cree.                                                       Cu. 

1854.  1855. 

Aug.     To  G  feet  blue  cloth,     ....       8  plues.  March.    By  10  muskrat  skins,   ....       2  plues. 

"  1  foot  scarlet  cloth,      .     .     .       3      "  "1  large  beaver  skin,     ...       4      " 

"  1  white  blanket,  3  points,             7      "  "1  small      "        "         .     .     .       2      " 

"  20  loads  ammunition,  .     .     .       1      "  "10  otter  skins,  average  2  p.,  .  20      " 

"  3  feet  N.  W.  twist  tobacco,           1      "  "6  cross  %  skins,    "      4  "   .  24      " 

"  1  N.  W.  gun, 15      "  "2  silver  "      "        "      5  "   .  10      " 

"  1  horse, 30      "  "1  buffalo  robe, 3      " 

05      "  65      " 

Now  although  a  plue  has  a  nominal  value  of  about  two  shillings  sterling,  it  is  not  to  be 
inferred  that  the  actual  value  of  that  amount  of  money  is  paid  in  merchandise,  at  prime 
cost,  with  expenses  of  transportation  and  a  fixed  per  cent,  added.  All  articles  of  trade 
are  reduced  to  a  standard  price,  and  made  proportionally  higher  or  lower  as  they  are  neces 
sary  or  indispensable  to  the  Indians.  Care  is  taken,  however,  not  to  rate  too  high  such 
articles  as  guns,  ammunition,  horses,  traps,  and  other  things  absolutely  required  for  hunting 
VOL.  xii. — 32 


248  ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY    AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 

purposes,  for  in  that  case,  the  Indians  not  being  able  to  procure  them,  would  fail  in  their 
hunts,  and  the  trade  thereby  suffer.  But  such  articles  as  tobacco,  cloth  of  gay  colors, 
ornaments,  beads,  £c.,  bear  very  high  prices  in  comparison  with  their  actual  cost.  Thus 
we  see  in  the  foregoing  bill  that  a  Northwest  gun,  the  prime  cost  of  which  in  England  is 
seldom  less  than  two  pounds  sterling,  sells  for  fifteen  pines,  while  half  a  pound  of  tobacco 
worth  sixpence  is  sold  for  one  plue. 

The  Indians  themselves  keep  no  accounts  either  pictorial  or  otherwise,  nor  can  we  learn 
that  any  devices  are  used  by  them  in  trade,  except  that  they  sometimes  aid  the  memory 
by  notches  on  a  stick,  or  the  memory  is  refreshed  by  the  trader  when  they  have  the  means 
to  pay.  The  Crees  sometimes  use  strokes  in  successive  lines  of  ten  each,  until  they  arrive 
at  the  required  amount,  as 

1111111111  .  .  . 

1111111111  .  .  . 

1111111111  .  .  . 
1111. 


CHAPTER     III. 

It.  BLACKFEET. 

ETHNOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

IT  has  usually  been  understood  that  the  history,  traditions,  and  customs  of  Indians  have 
been  handed  down  from  generation  to  generation  by  the  principal  men  of  each  tribe  with 
a  fair  degree  of  certainty  by  means  of  oral  tales.  Each  tribe,  it  is  true,  has  its  traditions, 
which  arc  very  numerous,  but  they  are  for  the  most  part  fabulous;  and  I  have  never  yet  met 
with  an  Indian  nation  that  could  give  its  history  with  any  degree  of  accuracy  farther  back 
than  one  hundred  years.  Even  then  it  is  so  mingled  with  fable  that  it  becomes  quite  a 
difficult  matter  to  sift  out  the  truth  from  so  much  chaff.  It  becomes,  therefore,  a  matter 
of  great  ethnological  interest  to  place  on  record  as  much  of  the  present  history  of  these 
wild,  changing  tribes  of  the  prairie,  as  can  be  secured  of  a  reliable  character.  From  the 
different  members  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  many  of  whom  are  intelligent,  well- 
educated  men,  I  have  obtained  a  large  mass  of  information  in  regard  to  the  Blackfeet, 
which  I  think  is  reliable,  and  in  a  future  publication  I  hope  to  present  it  in  full. 

The  Indians  usually  known  under  the  general  name  of  Blackfeet,  are  the  Piegans,  Blood 
Indians,  Blackfeet,  and  the  Gros  Venires  of  the  prairie,  or,  as  they  are  sometimes  called, 
Fall  Indians.  Of  these,  the  first  three  speak  the  same  language,  and  are  sprung  from  the 
same  stock,  but  the  last  belong  to  quite  a  different  group,  and  use  a  dialect  entirely  dis 
tinct  from  the  others.  The  Gros  Vcntres,  or,  as  they  call  themselves,  Atsinas,  arc  a  branch 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEr. 


249 


of  the  Arapohos,  who,  from  some  feud,  so  common  among  savages,  became  separated  from 
their  friends,  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  associated  themselves  with  the  Blackfeet. 
When  this  division  took  place  is  not  now  correctly,  known,  though  it  seems  not  to  have 
been  at  a  very  remote  period,  most  probably  within  the  last  century.  When  treating  of 
that  group  in  a  subsequent  sketch,  I  shall  present  all  the  information  that  can  be  obtained 
in  regard  to  that  matter.  Their  former  hunting  grounds,  as  indeed  those  of  the  whole 
Blackfoot  nation,  were  on  the  tributaries  of  the  Saskatchewan,  in  which  region  buffalo  and 
other  game  abounded.  Previous  to  the  opening  of  the  trade  with  these  Indians  on  the 
Upper  Missouri,  they  sold  all  their  skins  to  the  Hvidson's  Bay  Company,  seldom  visiting 
the  headwaters  of  the  Missouri,  except  for  marauding  purposes. 

The  Blood  Indians  range  through  the  district  along  Maria,  Teton,  and  Belly  Ilivers, 
inclining  west  and  northwest  far  into  the  interior.  In  this  section,  wood  is  more  abun 
dant,  pasturage  excellent,  and,  consequently,  buffalo  almost  always  abound  there. 

The  Blackfeet  inhabit  a  portion  of  country  farther  north  than  the  Bloods,  extending  to 
the  banks  of  the  Saskatchewan,  along  which  they  often  reside. 

They  have  never  altogether  abandoned  their  English  friends,  and  more  frequently  dispose 
of  their  furs  to  them  than  to  the  American  traders  on  the  head  branches  of  the  Missouri. 

The  Piegans  roam  through  the  Rocky  Mountains  on  the  south  side  of  Maria  River,  on 
both  banks  of  the  Missouri.  They  often  extend  their  travels  as  far  as  St.  Mary's  Valley, 
where  the  Flatheads  are  stationed,  with  whom  a  precarious  peace  has  been  in  existence 
for  many  years  back,  though  often  interrupted  by  the  other  bands  of  Blackfeet.  They 
also  hunt  as  far  down  the  Missouri  as  the  Mussel-shell  River,  and  up  that  stream  to  the 
borders  of  the  Crow  country. 

The  three  divisions  last  mentioned  constitute  the  Blackfoot  nation  proper,  whose  name 
has  become  notorious  for  their  fierce  and  deadly  struggles  with  all  the  neighboring  tribes, 
and  in  former  times  struck  terror  to  all  white  men  who  travelled  in  any'district  from  the 
Saskatchewan  to  the  Yellowstone,  and  from  the  Yellowstone  to  the  Columbia. 

The  Blackfeet  are  such  a  nomadic  people  that  it  is  a  difficult  task  to  obtain  a  per 
fectly  accurate  statement  of  their  numbers.  The  following  estimate,  given  in  one  of  the 
United  States  Indian  agent's  reports,*  is  probably  an  approximation  to  the  true  number : 


Bands. 

Lodges. 

Men. 

Women. 

Children. 

Total. 

Blackfeet,  

150 

260 

400 

540 

1200 

Bloods,  

300 

500 

800 

1100 

2400 

Pie<7iaris. 

460 

900 

1200 

1600 

3700 

Total,     

910 

1600 

2100 

3240 

7300 

Report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  1858. 


250 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


In  Volume  I  of  the  Pacific  Railroad  Reports^  by  Gov.  I.  I.  Stevens,  Mr.  James  13oty 
has  given  an  estimate  of  the  numbers  of  the  Blackfeet,  from  information  obtained  under 
the  most  favorable  circumstances. 


Bands. 

Lodges. 

Population. 

Warriors. 

The  Bloods,    

350 

2450 

875 

The  Blackfeet,     

250 

1750 

C25 

The  Pie^ans,  

360 

2520 

900 

Total,     

960 

6720 

2400 

These  bands  all  live  in  skin  tents,  like  the  rest  of  the  prairie  tribes,  follow  the  chase  for 
a  subsistence,  and  in  former  years  were  famous  for  their  war  excursions  against  neigh 
boring  tribes. 

The  country  they  inhabit  varies  in  its  natural  features  from  the  broad  plains  east  of  the 
Missouri  to  the  highlands  and  undulating  hills  as  we  approach  the  western  barrier  of  the 
llocky  Mountains.  That  part  of  it  reaching  towards  the  Saskatchewan  is  a  level  plain, 
many  days'  travel  in  extent,  and  nearly  destitute  of  timber.  There  is  an  abundance  of 
good  grass,  however,  and  small  lakes  supply  water  to  the  immense  herds  of  buffaloes  that 
are  found  there  in  the  summer  season.  These  animals  seem  to  prefer  the  level  plains  in 
warm  weather,  approaching  the  timbered  sections  in  the  fall  and  winter  to  obtain  the 
shelter  of  woods  and  hills  during  the  severe  cold  and  deep  snows  of  that  season.  On  this 
account  the  Indians  can  provide  themselves  Avith  food  and  clothing  at  all  times ;  for  if  the 
buffalo  remained  in  the  plains  during  the  winter  season,  they  would  not  be  able  to  procure 
fuel,  and  certain  death  would,  ensue  from  the  intense  cold  and  terrible  winds  that  sweep 
over  these  broad,  naked  praiiies. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  Missouri,  up  the  Mussel-shell,  Judith,  or  any  of  the  streams 
which  take  their  rise  in  the  mountains  in  that  direction,  the  face  of  the  country  is  more 
broken,  hilly,  and  better  timbered.  Travelling  over  this  district  is  quite  difficult,  on  ac 
count  of  the  exceeding  ruggedness  of  the  surface,  called  by  the  Indians  and  Canadian 
voyageurs  "  Bad  Lands."  Very  good  grass  is  found  in  this  portion  in  many  places,  and 
it  is  a  favorite  resort  for  game,  on  account  of  the  facilities  for  concealment.  Near  the 
mountains  there  is  an  abundance  of  wood,  water,  and  grass,  for  the  wild  animals,  or  for 
the  horses  of  the  Indian  and  voyageur. 

The  timber  of  the  several  rivers  running  through  the  Blackfoot  country,  is  chiefly 
cottonwood,  and  on  the  hilly  portions,  several  kinds  of  pine  and  cedar,  with  a  few  quaking 
asps  and  stinted  elms.  Along  most  of  the  ravines  springs  up  a  thick  growth  of  bushes, 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY.  251 

such  as  osier  (Connt*\  rose,  and  bluewood,  with  patches  of  cherry,  plum,  and  service- 
berry  shrubs.  On  the  eastern  side  of  the  Missouri,  berries  are  not  abundant,  but  along 
the  base  of  the  mountains,  they  are  very  plentiful.  Plums  and  cherries  are  the  most 
abundant,  and  are  eagerly  sought  after  by  the  Indians,  and  regarded  as  great  delicacies. 
Gooseberries,  wild  currants,  and  grain  de  bceuf  can  also  be  found,  but  not  in  large  quanti 
ties.  None  of  the  trees  bear  nuts  that  can  be  eaten,  and  in  consequence,  the  supply  of 
fruit  cannot  be  considered  a  safe  resource,  should  game  become  scarce. 

The  soil  of  this  portion  of  the  western  territory  is  not  generally  more  than  three  or 
four  inches  in  depth,  and  in  the  "  Bad  Lands,"  or  more  rugged  portions,  there  is  com 
paratively  little  grass,  and  the  rocks  are  composed  mostly  of  clays,  sands,  and  sandstones. 
The  valleys  and  level  plains  are  quite  well  clothed  with  the  short,  curly  buffalo  grass,  and 
other  prairie  grasses.  None  of  these  grasses  grow  more  than  eighteen  inches  or  two  feet  in 
height,  but  they  are  very  nutritious.  No  great  variety  of  flowers  adorns  these  endless  plains, 
and  we  look  in  vain  for  the  beautiful  display  so  often  seen  along  the  lower  portion  of  the 
Missouri.  The  whole  extent  of  country  presents  a  dreary,  desolate  aspect,  especially 
when  parched  up  by  the  hot  sun  of  midsummer,  or  covered  with  the  deep  snow  of  winter. 
There  is  nothing  inviting  to  the  eye  of  the  traveller,  except,  perhaps,  the  herds  of  buffalo, 
some  one  of  whom  may  furnish  him  a  repast,  after  he  has  spent  the  day  traversing  the 
prairie  in  search  of  wood  and  water  sufficient  to  cook  his  meal. 

The  climate  near  the  mountains  is  much  milder  than  that  lower  down  the  Missouri ; 
the  rivers  close  later,  and  open  much  sooner  than  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone. 
Leaves  put  forth  from  two  weeks  to  a  month  earlier  in  the  spring,  and  sometimes  the  vege 
tation  exhibits  the  full  bloom  of  spring  at  the  Blackfoot  Fort,  while  the  hills  around  Fort 
Union  arc  covered  with  snow,  and  the  trees  show  no  sign  of  leaves.  Snow-storms  arc 
not  so  violent  and  cold,  nor  of  so  long  duration,  and  in  the  level  country,  the  snow  rarely 
falls  more  than  eighteen  inches  in  depth,  but  it  is  soon  blown  into  the  ravines,  leaving  the 
tops  of  the  hills  bare,  and  the  valleys  impassable  on  horseback. 

The  degree  of  cold  at  the  Blackfoot  trading  post  is  seldom  lower  than  20°  below  zero ; 
usually  above  that  point,  while  at  Fort  Union,  the  thermometer  ranges  from  25°  to  40° 
below  zero  for  three  or  four  weeks  at  a  time.  War  parties  of  Assiniboins,  going  to  the 
Blackfect  from  the  latter  place,  have  travelled  as  far  as  Milk  River  on  snow-shoes,  over 
throe  feet  of  snow,  and  above  that  point,  found  the  surface  scarcely  covered.  Ducks  and 
geese  pass  the  winter  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  in  springs  and  streams  which  are  never 
fro/en  over.  On  the  summits  of  the  mountains,  snow  often  continues  the  year  round, 
while  that  collected  on  their  sides  and  in  the  valleys,  melts  away  about  the  middle  of 
May,  which  causes  the  annual  rise  of  the  Missouri.  It  is  said  by  the  Indians  and  voya- 
geurs,  that  this  rise  almost  invariably  occurs  about  the  time  when  the  roses  are  in  bloom. 


252  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

In  the  summer  of  1855,  a  treaty  was  concluded  with  the  Blackfcet,  by  Commissioners 
on  the  part  of  the  United  States,  having  for  its  object  the  entire  cessation  of  hostilities  be 
tween  them  and  neighboring  tribes.  Other  stipulations  were  made  with  regard  to  depre 
dations  on  white  persons,  either  resident  in,  or  travelling  through  their  country.  About 
$50,000  worth  of  goods  of  various  kinds  were  sent  to  their  country  by  the  Government, 
and  distributed  among  them,  and  a  number  of  other  tribes  who  were  present  at  the  treaty. 
Since  that  time,  the  Blackfeet  have  become  more  and  more  peaceable,  and  at  the  present 
time,  they  are  considered  the  best  disposed  Indians  in  the  Northwest.  Their  head  chief 
his  adopted,  in  part,  the  costume  of  the  white  man.  and  is  setting  the  example  to  the 
remainder  of  his  tribe,  of  settling  down  for  a  portion  of  the  year,  and  cultivating  the  soil ; 
and  as  the  game  becomes  scarce,  others  will  follow. 

In  regard  to  the  early  history  of  the  Blackfoot  nation,  we  know  very  little,  except  from 
brief  allusions  of  various  writers,  and  a  few  scanty  vocabularies.  They  have  always  been 
considered  a  bloodthirsty,  cruel,  and  treacherous  race,  a  terror  to  white  men  as  well  as 
Indians.  As  far  as  their  present  condition  is  concerned,  the  contrary  is  the  case.  There 
is  now  no  more  peaceable,  honorable,  and  prosperous  Indian  nation  in  the  West  than  the 
Blackfeet.  The  impression  in  regard  to  their  ferocity  was  doubtless  derived,  to  a  great 
extent,  from  the  glowing  accounts  which  have  been  given  from  time  to  time  of  their 
sanguinary  conflicts  with  the  trappers,  a  class  of  people,  many  of  whom  were  scarcely  less 
savage  than  themselves,  and  who  always  gave  them  ample  cause  for  attacking  them,  when 
they  found  them  the  weaker  party.  From  my  own  experience  among  them,  and  from  in 
formation  derived  from  intelligent  men,  who  have  spent  the  greater  portion  of  their  lives 
with  them,  I  am  convinced  that  at  the  present  time,  they  are  among  the  most  peaceable, 
honorable  Indians  in  the  West,  and  in  an  intellectual  and  moral  point  of  view,  they  take 
the  highest  rank  among  the  wild  tribes  of  the  plains.  They  arc  also  more  flexible  and 
teachable  in  their  natures,  and  the  head  chief,  a  man  who  has  attained  his  position  by 
his  prowess  and  success  in  war,  has  laid  aside  the  Indian  costume,  put  on  that  of  the 
white  man,  located  his  family  permanently  on  the  Government  farm,  and  commenced 
the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  thus  setting  a  noble  example  to  his  tribe.  I  have  never  met 
with  Indians  who  appeared  so  susceptible  to  the  influences  of  civilization  as  the  Blackfcet, 
providing  they  are  rightly  applied.  It  is  true  that  they  have  been  brave  and  fond  of  war, 
which  they  have  waged  with  relentless  zeal  against  the  Crows,  and  other  hereditary 
enemies,  from  time  immemorial.  Their  superior  intelligence  and  energy  have  rendered 
them  successful  against  an  equal  number  of  whites,  and  superior  numbers  of  the  neigh 
boring  tribes,  until  they  became  a  terror  to  both.  The  writer  has  travelled  much  in  their 
country,  and  when  within  the  limits  of  the  district  claimed  by  them,  he  has  felt  safe,  but 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  253 

when  white  men  are  found  by  them  in  their  enemies'  country,  they  arc  regarded  as  giving 
aid  and  comfort  to  their  foes,  and  are  liable  to  be  treated  accordingly  ;  at  least,  this  was 
the  case  until  after  the  treaty  with  the  United  States  Government  in  1855.  Since  that 
time,  they  have  been,  for  the  most  part,  at  peace  with  all  nations. 

Very  little  reliable  information  has  ever  yet  been  given  to  the  world  in  relation  to 
this  tribe,  and  it  is  only  within  a  comparatively  recent  period,  that  the  true  affinity  of 
their  language  was  known,  some  supposing  them  to  speak  an  independent  language  ; 
others  a  remote  dialect  of  the  Dakota  stock.  In  the  Transactions  of  the  American 
Ethnological  Society,  Vol.  II,  Gallatin  proved  conclusively  .that  they  belonged  to  the  great 
Algonkin  Group.  So  far  as  I  can  ascertain  from  the  books  within  my  reach,  I  desire 
to  present  a  brief  account  of  the  statements  of  travellers,  who  have  noticed  them,  and 
to  allude  to  the  different  vocabularies  of  their  language,  which  have  already  been  given 
to  the  world. 

So  far  back  as  1789,  Mackenzie,  in  his  "  General  History  of  the  Fur-Trade,"  says  :  "  On 
the  head  waters  of  the  South  Branch  (Saskatchewan),  are  the  Picaneux,  to  the  number  of 
twelve  to  fifteen  hundred  men.  Next  to  them,  on  the  same  water,  are  the  Blood  Indians, 
of  the  same  nation  as  the  last,  to  the  number  of  fifty  tents,  or  two  hundred  and  fifty  men. 
From  them  downwards  extend  the  Blackfeet  Indians,  of  the  same  nation  as  the  two  last 
tribes  ;  their  number  may  be  eight  hundred  men.  Next  to  them,  and  who  extend  to  the 
confluence  of  the  South  and  North  Branch,  are  the  Fall  or  Big-bellied  Indians,  who  may 
amount  to  about  six  hundred  warriors."  Again,  he  says,  "  The  Picaneux,  Blackfeet,  and 
Blood  Indians  are  a  distinct  people,  speak  a  language  of  their  own,  and  I  have  reason  to 
think,  are  travelling  northwest,  as  well  as  the  others  just  mentioned,  nor  have  I  heard  of 
any  Indians  with  whose  language  that  which  they  speak  has  any  affinity." 

Umfreville,  in  a  well-written  work,  published  about  1791,  says  (on  page  200)  that  the 
three  bands,  Blackfeet,  Piegan,  and  Blood  Indians,  all  speak  the  same  language,  and  have 
the  same  laws  and  customs.  They  were  the  most  numerous  and  powerful  nation  with 
which  he  was  acquainted.  In  this  work  he  gives  a  list  of  forty-four  words  of  their  lan 
guage,  which,  so  far  as  I  know,-was  the  first  ever  published  of  their  tongue.  He  also 
mentions  the  occurrence  of  the  small-pox  in  1781,  which  spread  generally  throughout  the 
Indian  country.  It  proved  very  destructive,  not  one  in  fifty  of  those  attacked  surviving, 
and  it  seriously  injured  the  trading  interests. 

In  Lewis  and  Clarke's  Journal,  quite  extended  and  interesting  accounts  are  given  of 
their  intercourse  with  this  tribe,  but  nothing  definite  in  regard  to  their  former  history, 
and  no  vocabulary  of  their  language.  It  would  appear  that  at  the  time  of  their  visit  to 
the  West,  in  1804,  '5,  and  '6,  these  Indians  had  taken  up  their  abode  near  the  sources  of 
the  Missouri. 


254  ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY    AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

Brackcnvidgc,  in  his  "  Voyage  up  the  Missouri  River,  in  1811,"*  merely  alludes  to  the 
Blackfeet.  "  They  wander  on  the  heads  of  the  Missouri,  Maria  River,  and  along  the 
Rocky  Mountains ;  they  are  also  Sioux.  They  trade  at  the  same  establishments  with  the 
Assiniboins,  and  are  at  war  Avith  the  Crow  nation.  They  have  been  very  troublesome  to 
our  traders,  to  whom  they  have  conceived  a  deadly  hatred.  Their  country  the  most 
abundant  in  beaver  and  other  furs." 

Mr.  Morse,  in  1822,  speaks  of  the  Blackfeet  as  inhabiting  the  headwaters  of  the  Mis 
souri,  of  whom  very  little  is  known.f 

In  the  Transactions  of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society,  Vol.  II,  Mr.  Gallatin  has 
summed  up  in  the  most  able  manner,  all  the  knowledge  that  had  been  previously  obtained 
in  regard  to  the  Blackfoot  nation,  and  their  language.  Mr.  Gallatin's  memoir  was  pub 
lished  in  1836,  and  at  that  time,  he  says:  "  We  have  as  yet  no  other  vocabulary  of  those 
two  nations  (Blackfeet  and  Gros  Verities  of  the  prairie),  and  of  the  Assiniboins,  but  the 
scanty  one  of  Umfreville.  It  is  sufficient,  however,  to  show  that  the  Assiniboins  are,  as 
they  have  been  uniformly  stated,  a  branch  of  the  Sioux  family,  and  that  the  languages  of 
the  Rapid  Indians  and  of  the  Blackfeet  are  distinct  from  each  other,  and  different  from 
any  other  known  to  us." 

Again,  in  1818,+  Mr.  Gallatin  published  a  second  memoir  on  the  American  Aboriginal 
Languages,  in  which  he  proves  most  conclusively  the  affinity  of  the  Blackfoot  language 
with  the  Algonkin  stock.  Out  of  180  words  of  which  the  vocabulary  was  composed,  54 
have  clear  affinities.  The  vocabulary,  as  well  as  much  information  in  regard  to  the  Upper 
Missouri  tribes,  was  furnished  to  Mr.  Gallatin  by  Mr.  Kenneth  Mackenzie,  an  intelligent 
Scotchman,  and  for  many  years  one  of  the  principal  partners  of  the  American  Fur  Com 
pany,  in  charge  of  Fort  Union,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone. 

A  vocabulary  of  the  Blackfoot  language  is  published  in  Vol.  VII  of  the  United  States 
Exploring  Expedition,  Ethnography  and  Philology,  by  Horatio  Hale,  Philadelphia,  1846. 
From  what  source  Mr.  Hale  obtained  this  vocabulary,  I  could  not  ascertain. 

In  a  work  by  George  Catlin,  "  Letters  and  Notes  on  the  Manners,  Customs,  and  Con 
dition  of  the  North  American  Indians,"  London,  1841,  2  vols.  8vo.,  may  be  found  a  very 
good  vocabulary  of  the  language  under  consideration,  and  it  is  remarkable  as  being  the 
second  one  ever  published  of  these  Indians.  Mr.  Catlin  did  not  visit  the  Blackfoot  coun 
try,  however,  inasmuch  as  he  did  not  ascend  the  Missouri  higher  than  the  mouth  of  the 
Yellowstone.  The  Blackfeet  not  unfrequently  visited  this  post  in  former  times  for  trading 
or  marauding  purposes. 

*  Journal  of  a  Voyage  up  the  Missouri  River,  in  1811,  by  IT.  M.  Brackcnridge,  Esq.     Pittsburg,  1814. 
f  Report  to  the  Secretary  of  War  on  Indian  Affairs,  by  Rev.  J.  Morse,  D.D.     New  Haven,  1822. 
J  Transactions  of  the  American  Ethnological  Society,  Vol.  II.     New  York,  1848. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  255 

But  the  most  reliable  information  in  regard  to  the  Indians  of  the  Upper  Missouri  is 
given  in  that  magnificent  work  of  Maximilian,  Prince  of  Wied.*  He  visited  that  country 
in  the  years  1832,  '3,  and  '4,  and  spent  considerable  time  among  the  Blackfeet,  under 
circumstances  which  were  favorable  for  obtaining  an  accurate  knowledge  of  them.  He 
also  procured  a  brief  but  very  correct  vocabulary. 

There  is  also  a  vocabulary  of  the  Blackfoot  language  in  the  "  Proceedings  of  the  Philo 
logical  Society  of  London,"  Vol.  IV,  1850,  but  I  was  unable  to  gain  access  to  it. 

A  good  traders'  vocabulary  was  made  by  J.  B.  Moncrovie,  who  was  for  a  long  time  a 
trader  among  the  Blackfeet  Indians  on  the  Upper  Missouri.  This  is  published  in  School- 
craft's  "  Indian  Tribes  of  the  United  States,"  Vol.  I'l,  pp.  494-505. 

A  few  words,  about  twenty-three  in  number,  and  the  Lord's  Prayer  translated  into 
the  Blackfoot  language,  is  given  in  the  latter  part  of  a  work  entitled,  "  Oregon  Missions, 
and  Travels  over  the  Rocky  Mountains,  in  1845  and  '46,  by  Father  P.  J.  Do  Smet,  of  the 
Society  of  Jesus." 

The  above  comprises,  as  far  as  I  can  ascertain,  the  entire  literature  of  the  Blackfoot 
language,  and  it  will  be  seen  that  it  consists  only  of  rather  brief  vocabularies.  Nothing 
of  the  grammatical  structure  has  ever  been  secured,  and  thus  my  brief  sketch  may  be  con 
sidered  as  the  first  attempt  toward  a  grammar  of  this  language. 

An  interesting  sketch  of  the  Blackfoot  nation  may  be  found  in  Part  V  of  Schoolcraft's 
great  work.  The  materials  were  supplied  by  the  late  Col.  D.  1).  Mitchell,  of  St.  Louis,  Mis 
souri,  who  spent  many  years  among  these  Indians,  as  one  of  the  partners  of  the  American 
Fur  Company.  It  may  be  well  in  this  place  to  discuss  the  origin  and  meaning  of  the 
names  of  the  different  bands  of  the  Blackfeet.  Col.  Mitchell  relates  the  origin  of  the  term 
Blackfoot  in  the  following  manner.  These  Indians  originally  inhabited  the  region  of  country 
drained  by  the  Saskatchewan  and  its  tributaries,  and  only  visited  the  valley  of  the  Missouri 
on  hunting  excursions  or  marauding  expeditions.  They  became  distributed  over  a  wider 
range  of  country  on  account  of  the  claims  of  two  ambitious  chiefs,  each  one  of  whom  desired 
the  sole  command  of  the  nation.  Thus  a  separation  took  place,  and  the  followers  of  one 
chief  retired  southward  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Missouri,  where  game  is  plenty  and  all 
the  luxuries  of  a  savage  life  are  abundant.  The  remainder  continued  in  the  valley  of  the 
Saskatchewan,  where  they  roam  at  the  present  day,  trading,  for  the  most  part,  with  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company.  Prior  to  the  separation,  however,  bloody  battles  ensued,  in  one 
of  which  the  parties  fought  "  three  days  and  three  .nights.  The  sun  and  moon  was  made 
red  by  smoke  of  the  hot  blood  which  flowed  through  the  ravines,  and  the  rocks  along  the 
banks  of  Belly  Ilivcr  remain  red  to  this  day."  The  black  chief  was  at  length  defeated, 

*  llcise  des  Prinzen  Maximilian  zu  Wied,  Coblentz,  1839-1841.     2  vo's.  4lo    Vol.  IT,  pp.  589  ct  seq.  ;  Vol. 
II,  pp.  480-486.     There  is  also  an  English  translation  of  the  narrative  in  1  vol.  4to.    London,  1843. 
VOL.  XII. — 33 


256  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

and  he  and  his  followers  retired  to  the  Missouri,  where  they  arrived  in  the  fall,  when  the 
prairies  are  burnt  by  the  autumnal  fires.  In  their  travels  their  moccasins  and  leggins 
became  blackened  by  the  burnt  grass,  and  in  this  condition  they  were  first  seen  by  the 
Crows  and  other  neighboring  tribes,  who  at  once  gave  them  the  name  they  now  bear. 
This  account  undoubtedly  forms  a  part  of  their  mythology,  but  how  much  of  truth  there 
is  in  it,  it  is  impossible  to  determine.  So  far  back  as  1789,  before  any  of  the  nation  roamed 
so  far  southward  as  the  sources  of  the  Missouri,  we  know  that  the  same  three  divisions, 
bearing  the  same  names  as  at  the  present  time,  constituted  the  Blackfoot  nation.  The 
name  is  derived  from  sik-si-nim',  black,  and  probably  at-si-kin',a  shoe  or  moccasin,  which 
could  be  easily  abbreviated  into  sik-si-ka',  the  name  not  only  for  a  band  or  division,  but 
also  for  the  whole  tribe. 

The  name  of  the  second  band  has  been  spelled  in  a  variety  of  ways,  as,  Kahna,  Kaenna, 
&c. ;  but  as  given  to  me  by  the  best  interpreter  in  the  country,  and  approved  by  the  chief, 
it  is  Kai'-e-na,  people  who  counted  a  plenty  of  "  coups,"  that  is,  people  who  took  in  war  a 
great  many  scalps  and  arms ;  and  this  appears  to  me  to  be  the  true  interpretation.  The 
meaning  given  by  the  Prince  of  Neuwied  is  essentially  the  same.  "  Before  the  Blackfeet 
divided  into  separate  bands,  they  were  encamped  in  the  neighborhood  of  five  or  six  tents 
of  the  Kutonas  or  the  Sarcecs,  I  believe  the  former.  The  Siksikai  and  the  Kahna  desired 
to  kill  the  Kutonas ;  and  though  the  Piekanns  declared  against  it,  a  part  of  those  Indians 
attacked  the  few  huts  during  the  night,  killed  all  the  inmates,  took  the  scalps,  stained 
their  faces  and  hands  with  the  blood,  and  then  returned.  Disputes  ensued  in  consequence 
of  this  cruel  action ;  the  Indians  separated  from  each  other,  and  the  murderers  received 
the  name  which  they  have  ever  since  retained.  They  have  always  manifested  a  more  san 
guinary  and  predatory  character  than  the  others,  of  whom  the  Piekanns  have  always  been 
remarked  as  the  most  moderate  and  humane  of  this  nation." 

The  name  of  the  third  band  has  also  been  spelled  in  a  variety  of  ways,  as,  Picaneux, 
Piekan,  Piekanns,  Piegan,  &c.  From  the  best  authority,  the  interpreter  before-mentioned 
gave  the  name  to  me  as,  Pi-kun'-i,  people  with  badly  dressed  robes. 

In  the  following  grammatical  sketch  and  vocabulary,  I  have  presented  only  an  abstract 
of  the  materials  in  my  possession,  and  have  made  the  whole  as  brief  as  possible.  Farther 
researches  will  render  much  of  the  information  not  included  in  these  papers  more  complete 
and  reliable,  and  on  that  account  it  is  omitted. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY.  257 

CHAPTER     IV. 

REMARKS   UPON   THE   GRAMMATICAL    STRUCTURE   OF   TUE   BLACKFOOT   LANGUAGE. 

I.   PARTS  OF  SPEECH. 

1.  THE  parts  of  speech  are  the  noun,  adjective,  adverb,  preposition,  conjunction,  inter 
jection,  pronoun,  and  verb.     Of  all  these,  the  verb  is  the  most  complex,  and  the  most 
important. 

II.  NOUNS. 

2.  No  change  is  made  in  the  termination  of  a  noun  to  indicate  its  case :  this  is  known 
by  its  position  in  the  sentence.     In  nouns  indicating  possession,  the  name  of  the  possessor 
usually  comes  first ;  as,  mus-op-ski'-o-yis',  a  muskrat's  lodge. 

3.  Nouns  have  two  numbers,  singular  and  plural,  which  are  shown  by  difference  of  ter 
mination.     In  the  Blackfoot  language  all  nouns,  with  few  exceptions,  have  variable  but 
distinct  terminations,  indicating  the  plural  number,  and  a  portion  possess  two  plural  end 
ings  ;    as,  po'-ksa-6is,  a  hammer ;    plural,  po'-ksa-6iks ;  second  form,  po'-ksa-6i-sa'-wa,  the  word 
a-ku'-a-wa,  meaning  "  a  good  many,"  being  incorporated  into  the  noun.    Examples : 

SINGULAR.  PLURAL. 

2d  form. 

nm-tu'-a-wa. 

ni-pu'-a-wa. 

mu-ku'-a-wa. 


1st  form. 

Spring, 

mu-tu', 

mu-tu'-isc,* 

Summer, 

ni-pu', 

ni-pu'  -isc, 

Autumn, 

mu-ku', 

mu-ku'-is6, 

Winter, 

stu'-yi, 

stu'-yis<5. 

Star, 

ko-ka'-tos, 

ko-ka-to'-siks. 

Antelope, 

a-wa'-kos, 

a-wa-ko'-slks. 

Tongue, 

ma-tsi-ne'; 

ma-tsi-ne'-iks, 

ma-tsi-ne'-a-wa. 

4.  So  far  as  I  have  yet  observed,  gender  is  distinguished  by  the  use  of  different  names ; 
as,  stuni'-ik,  a  buffalo  bull ;  ski-ni',  a  cow ;  pu-no-ka'-mi-ta,  a  horse ;  ski'-am,  a  mare. 

III.  ADJECTIVES. 

5.  Adjectives  usually  follow  the  nouns  which  they  describe ;  as,  mis'-tis-oh'-o-tok,  petri 
fied  wood.     But  to  this  rule  there  are  an  unusual  number  of  exceptions  in  the  Blackfoot 
language ;  as,  pi-wali'-o,  bad  lands,  from  pi'-wa,  rough,  rugged,  and  ali'-o,  land ;  ba-kap'-sa-ko- 
ma'-pi,  a  lazy  boy. 

6.  Adjectives  have  the  same  numbers  as  nouns  (see  Remark  3) ;  as, 

*  Last  syllable  pronounced  as  istch. 


258 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


SINGULAR. 


PLURAL. 


1st  form. 

2d  form. 

Good, 

ah'-si-o, 

ali'-si-Iks, 

ah'-si-a-wa. 

Lazy, 

ba-kaps', 

ba-kap'-siks, 

ba-kap'-si-a-wa. 

Bad, 

ma-kaps', 

ma-kap'-slks, 

ma-kap'-si-a-wa. 

Dreadful, 

ko-ma'-pi, 

ko-ma'-pis6. 

Ugly, 

muli-si-num', 

inuh-si-num'-i-a-wa. 

Hot, 

kris-tu'-yi, 

kris-tu'-yisd. 

7.  Degrees  of  comparison  in  adjectives  are  not  shown  by  inflection,  bnt  their  significa 
tion  is  increased  or  diminished  by  means  of  adverbs ;  as,  ki-nai'-ah'-si-o,  all  good  ;  i-tai-mali'-si-o, 
there  are  none  so  good ;  mis-ti-poks'-ah'-si-o,  beyond  good,  the  best  of  all. 

8.  Adjectives  are  sometimes  formed  from  nouns  by  the  addition  of  a  syllable  ;  as,  on'-o- 
tok,  a  stone,   6h-o-t6k'-sku,  stony ;    mis-tek',  a   rock,  mis-tek'-sku,  rocky.     A    more    thorough 
knowledge  of  the  language  would  doubtless  multiply  these  examples. 

9.  The  cardinal  numbers  are  as  follows : 


One,  nis'-i. 

Two,  na-tok'. 

Three,  noli. 

Four,  ni-su'-i. 

Five,  ni'-si-to. 

Six,  na'-au. 

Seven,  ih'-it-sili. 

Eight,  na-nis'-o. 

Nine,  pih-su'-a. 

Ten,  ki-pu'-a. 

Eleven,  nit'-si-ko-put'-o. 

Twelve,  nat'-si-ko-put'-o. 

Thirteen,  ni'-ko-put'-o. 

Fourteen,  ni'-si-ko-put'-o. 

Fifteen,  ni-sit-si'-ko-put'-o. 


Sixteen,  na-a'-ko-put'-o. 

Seventeen,  ili-it'-si-ko-put'-o. 

Eighteen,  na-ni'-si-ko-put'-o. 

Nineteen,  pih'-si-ko'-put'-o. 

Twenty,  na-tsi'-po. 

Twenty -one,  na-tsi'-po-nit'-si-ko'-put'-o. 

Thirty,  ni-hip'-o. 

Forty,  ni-sip'-o. 

Fifty,  nis-it'-sip-o. 

Sixty,  na'-ip-o. 

Seventy,  kit-si'-kip-o. 

Eighty,  na-na'-sip-o. 

Ninety,  pili'-sip-o. 

One  hundred,  ki-pip'-o. 


IV.  ADVERBS. 


10.   Adverbs  precede   the  verbs  which   they  qualify,  as,  ma-toli'-si-po-ksi-po'-at,  he  came 
afterwards.     The  following  is  a  list  of  the  principal  adverbs  known : 


e-sum'-o,  a  good  while, 
a-sto-ko'-ki,  near  by. 
na-to'-tsi,  so,  likewise,  in  like  manner, 
ma-toh'-si,  afterwards, 
ma-to-ko'-tsi,  never, 
mats-ta'-nis-tsit,  again,  once  more. 


a-me'-tohs,  above. 

seli'-ta,  it  may  be,  perhaps. 

ai-sum'-o,  long  ago. 

ali-o-tsi'-ma,  in  exchange. 

skna'-to-nis,  early,  soon  in  the  morning. 

a-pin'-o-kos,  to-morrow. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  259 

pi-ih'-tsi,  far  off,  at  a  distance.  fa'-ni-sto-tu'-yi,  how  ?  how  have  you  done  it  ? 

noli,  now.  to-toli'-tsi,  on  this  side. 

kin'-i,  enough.  a-pum'-ots,  on  the  other  side. 

nun'-u-wa,  at  last.  pi-na-poli'-tsi,  down,  as  down  the  river. 

nun'-u-wa-po-ksi-po'-at,  he  came  at  last.  sa-oli'-tsi,  out  of  doors. 

ai-pis-tskai'-kum-o,  a  little  while  ago,  lately.  na-koh'-tsi,  a  little. 

mi-im',  over  yonder.  pa-ki-tsi'-ku-im,  with  great  difficulty. 

kin-i'-nai,  there.  ka-tets',  none. 

u'-no-mai,  here.  ka-nis'-i,  smoothly. 

e-ka'-pa-nis-tsi,  after.  ma-ta'-kai-im,  not  enough. 

spoli'-tsi,  above.  is-6i'-ka,  more. 

a-kai'-im,  much,  plenty.  ma-tu'-ni,  yesterday. 

sa-nis'-tsi,  when,  at  what  time  ?  ai  sali'-ta,  why  ? 

tsi-ma',  where,  in  what  place  ? 

V.  PREPOS'ITIONS. 

11.  As  a  general  rule,  prepositions  follow  the  nouns  which  they  govern,  as: 

sa-toli'-si,  beyond.  kai-e'-ksi-se-to'-ko,  through  a  gap  or  pass. 

pau-ah'-u-i-sa-toli'-si,  beyond  the  ridge.                               se-to-ko'-ksin,  between  or  among. 

u-ni'-mai,  at.  a-pa-toli'-si,  behind. 

mu-yis'-u-ni'-njai,  at  the  house  or  lodge.  sai-a'-ni-sots,  down. 

pi-sto'-tsi,  in.  it-si'-o,  in. 

mu-yis'-pi-sto'-tsi,  in  the  house.  sa-ko'-mi-it-si'-o,  in  the  ground. . 

se-to'-ko,  through,  between. 

VI.  CONJUNCTIONS.       • 

12.  Conjunctions  are  few  in  number,  as: 

i-yo'-pi,  if. 

10  VII.  INTERJECTIONS. 

lo. 

e-ku'-ta-nis-6i'-wats !  is  it  possible !  a-e' !  oh  !  yes  !  is  it  so  ! 

at-sto  mat'-sa  !  oh  dear  !  at-sto'-ma-ki-ni'-sa  !  pity  !  poor  fellow  ! 

VIII.  PRONOUNS. 

14.  The  pronouns  are  of  two  kinds,  the  simple  and  the  fragment  pronoun.  The  simple 
pronouns  are  complete  in  themselves,  but  the  fragment  pronouns  are  either  prefixed  or 
inserted  into  verbs,  adjectives,  and  nouns.  The  simple  pronouns  are  as  follows : 

ni-stu'-a,  I.  ni-stu'-nan,  us  or  we. 

ki-stu'-a,  you  or  thou.  ki-stu'-wa-wa,  you. 

u-stu'-i,  he  or  him.  u-stu'-wa-wa,  they  or  them. 


260 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 


nit-si-nan',  mine, 
kit-si-nan',  thine, 
u-tsi-nan',  his. 

nin-i-6i'-tup-i,  I  myself  alone. 
kin-i-6i'-tup-i,  you  yourself  alone,  or  thyself. 
u-ni-6i'-tup-i,  he  himself  alone. 


nit-si-na'-nan,  ours, 
kit-si-na'-nan,  yours, 
u-tsi-nan' -wa'-wa,  theirs. 

nin-i-6i'-tup-i-nu'-ni,  we  ourselves  alone. 
kin-i-6i'-tup-i-nu'-ni,  you  yourselves  alone. 
u-ni-6i'-tup-i-wa'-wa,  they  themselves  alone. 


15.  The  fragment  pronouns  are  connected  with  nouns,  adjectives,  adjective  verbs,  and 
verbs.     Those  prefixed  to  nouns  denote  possession ;  as, 


no-tos',  my  horse. 

ko-t5s',  thy  horse. 

o-tos',  his  horse. 

noli'-u-a,  my  son. 

koli'-u-a,  thy  son. 

ou'-u-a,  his  son. 

noli-u-i'-ksi-nan,  our  sons. 

koh-u-i'-ksi-nan,  your  sons. 

oli-u-i'-ksi-nan,  their  sons. 

ni-tun'-a,  my  daughter. 

ki-tun'-a,  thy  daughter. 

i-tun'-a,  his  daughter. 

no-ko'-si-nan-sa'-ko-ma'-plks,  our  children,  boys. 


no-to'-siks,  my  horses. 

ko-to'-siks,  thy  horses. 

o-to'-slks,  his  horses. 

noli'-u-iks,  my  sons. 

koh '-u-Iks,  thy  sons. 

oli'-u-Iks,  his  sons. 

no-kos',  my  child. 

ko-kos',  thy  child. 

o-kos',  his  child. 

no-ko'-siks,  my  children. 

kit-o-ki'-man,  thy  wife. 

u-no'-i,  his  father. 

no-ko'-siks'-ni-tun'-iks,  our  children,  girls. 


16.  These  fragment  pronouns  are  also  incorporated  into  adjective  verbs  and  adjectives ; 


as, 


ni-ta'-ats,  I  am  well. 
ki-ta'-ats,  thou  art  well. 
a-a'-tsu,  he  is  well. 


i-a-tsop', 
i-a-tsi-a  -wa, 


they  are  well. 


ni-tut'-si,  I  am  brave, 
ki-tut'-si,  thou  art  brave, 
ma'-tsi,  he  is  brave. 


ni-ti'-o-to'-kos,  I  am  sick. 
ki-ti'-o-to'-kos,  thou  art  sick, 
i'-o-to'-kos,  he  is  sick, 
ni-ti'-o-to-ko'-spin,  we  are  sick, 
ki-ti'-o-to-ko'-spin,  you  are  sick, 
i'-o-to-ko'-ksi-a,  they  are  sick. 

nit-o-kaps',  I  am  bad. 
kit-o-kaps',  thou  art  bad. 
nit-o-ka'-spin,  we  are  bad. 


17.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  principal  adjective  pronouns : 


SINGULAR. 
a-mo',  this, 
o'-ma,  that, 
ta-ka',  who. 
ali'-sats,  what, 
sa-kah'-ta,  what  person  ? 


PLURAL. 

a-rnoks',  these, 
o'-maks,  those, 
ta-ki'-ksan. 
ah-sa'-i-ksan. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


261 


SINGULAR. 

kris-ta'-pi,  something, 
mah-tsi'-tsi,  nothing, 
it-sin'-a-ka,  all. 

sta-nis'-6is,  when,  at  what  time  ? 
tsa-ni-ta'-pi,  how,  in  what  way  ? 
tsim'-a,  where,  at  what  place  ? 


PLURAL. 
kris-ta'-pi-au-a. 


IX.  VERBS. 


18.  To  the  verbs  belong  mood,  tense,  number,  and  person.  The  indicative,  imperative, 
and  infinitive  moods  are  well  marked,  and  also  the  present,  past,  and  future  tenses.  The 
verbs  are  conjugated  as  follows : 

a-ko-mim',  to  love,  loving.  °'-yi>  eating,  to  eat. 


nit-a-wa'-ko-mirn,  I  love,  or  am  loving, 
kit-a-wa'-ko-mim,  thou  lovest,  or  art  loving, 
a-wa'-ko-mim,  he  loves,  or  is  loving, 
nit-a-wa'-ko-mi'-rni-nan,  we  love,  or  are  loving, 
kit-a-wa'-ko-mi'-ina,  you  love,  or  are  loving, 
a-wa'-ko-mi'-mi-o,  they  love,  or  are  loving. 

ni-ti'-a-ka'-ko-mim,  I  will  love, 
ki-ti'-a-ka'ko-mim,  thou  wilt  love, 
i'-a-ka'-ko-mim,  he  will  love, 
ni-ti'-a-ka'-ko-mi'-ma-nan,  we  will  love, 
ki-ti'-a-ka'-ko-mi-mo-wa'-wa,  you  will  love, 
i'-a-ka'-ko-mi'-rui-o,  they  will  love. 

ni-kai'-a-kris'-ta-ko-mim,  I  have  loved, 
ki-kai'-a-kris'-ta-ko-mim,  thou  hast  loved, 
i-kai'-a-kris'-ta-ko-mim,  he  has  loved, 
ni-kai'-a-kris'-ta-ko-rm'-ma-nan,  we  have  loved, 
ki-kai'-a-kris'-ta-ko-mi'-ma-wa,  you  have  loved, 
i-kai'-a-kris'-ta-ko-mi'-mi-a,  they  have  loved. 

a-ko'-mi-mis  (imp.  sing.),  love, 
ka-na'-wa-ko'-mi-mis  (pi.) 

nit-a-ko'-mi-mo'-tsi,  I  love  myself, 
kit-a-ko'-mi-mo'-tsi,  you  love  yourself, 
a-wa-ko'-mi-mo'-tsi,  he  loves  himself, 
nit-a-ko'-mi-mo-tslli'-pi-nan,  we  love  ourselves, 
kit-a-ko'-mi-mo-tsili'-pu-wa'-wa,  you  love  yourselves, 
a-wa-ko'mi-mo'-tslks,  they  love  themselves. 


ni-to'-yi,  I  am  eating, 
ki-to'-yi,  thou  art  eating, 
o'-yi,  he  is  eating, 
nit-o-yili'-pi-nan,  we  are  eating, 
kit-o-pili'-pi-nan,  you  are  eating, 
o-i'-yiks,  they  are  eating, 
n'se-mi'-sto-yih'-pi-nan,  we  both  are  eating, 
se-mi'-sto,  both  or  two. 

ni-ta'-kso-yi,  I  am  going  to  cat. 
ki-ta'-kso-yi,  thou  art  going  to  eat. 
i-a'-kso-yi,  he  is  going  to  eat. 
ni-ta'-kso-pili'-pi-nan,  we  arc  going  to  eat. 
ki-ta'-kso-yili'-pu-a,  you  are  going  to  eat. 
i-a'-kso-yiks,  they  are  going  to  eat. 

ni-ta'-kse-mi-sto-ylh'-pi-nan,  we  two  arc  going  to  cat. 
ki-ta'-kse-mi-sto-ylh'-pu-a,  you  two  are  going  to  eat. 
i-a'-kse-mi-sto-yi'-waks,  they  two  arc  going  to  eat. 

nit-e-kris'-o-yi,  I  have  done  eating, 
kit-e-kris'-o-yi,  thou  hast  done  eating, 
it-e-kris'-o-yi,  he  has  done  eating, 
nit-e-kris'-o-yili'-pi-nan,  we  have  done  eating, 
kit-c-kris'-o-ylh'-pu-wa'-wa,  you  have  done  eating, 
it-c-kris'-o-yi'-waks,  they  have  done  eating, 
nit-e-kris'-c-mi-sto-yikh'-pi-nan,  we  both  have  done 
eatinir. 


262 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 


ni-ta'-wa-to'-to-pi-a,  if  I  cat. 
ki-ta'-wa-to'-to-pi-a,  if  thou  catest. 
o-ylh'-to  pi-a,  if  he  eats, 
a-yo-pi-nit-so-yikh-pi-nan,  if  we  eat. 

a-yo'-pi-kit-so-pikh'-pu-wa-wa,  if  you  eat. 
a-yo'-pi-at-so'-pi-waks,  if  they  eat. 

na'-ksi-kum'-o-yi,  perhaps  I  will  eat. 
ka'-ksi-kum'-o-yi,  perhaps  thou  wilt  eat. 
a'-ksi-kum'-o-yi,  perhaps  he  will  eat. 
na'-ksi-kum'-o-ylh'-pi-nan,  perhaps  we  will  eat. 
ka'-ksi-kura'-o-yili'-pu-wa'-wa,  perhaps  you  will  eat. 
a'-ksi-kum'-o-yi'-waks,  perhaps  they  will  eat. 

o'-ylt  (imp.  sing.),  eat. 
ka'-kso-yili'-pu-wa  (imp.  pi.),  eat. 
a'-ni-i-so'-ylks,  let  them  eat. 

a'sim-i,  to  drink. 

ni-tai'-sim-i,  I  drink,  or  am  drinking, 
ki-tai'-sim-i,  thou  drinkest,  or  art  drinking, 
a-tai'sim-i,  he  drinks,  or  is  drinking, 
ni-tai'-sim-ih'-pi-nan,  wo  drink,  or  are  drinking. 
kit-ai'-sim-Ih' -pi-nan,  you  drink,  or  are  drinking, 
a-tai'-sim-ili'-pi-nan,  they  drink,  or  are  drinking. 

ni-tai'-ak-sim'-i,  I  will  drink, 
ki-tai'-ak-sim'-i,  thou  wilt  drink, 
a-tai'-ak-sim'-i,  he  will  drink, 
ni-tai'-ak-sim-ih'-pi-nan,  we  will  drink, 
ki-tai'-ak-sim-ih'-pi-nan,  you  will  drink, 
a-tai'  ak-sim-ih'-pi-nan,  they  will  drink. 

ni-tai'-kris-itn'-i,  I  have  drunk, 
ki-tai'-kris-im'-i,  thou  hast  drunk, 
a-tai'-kris-iin'-i,  he  has  drunk. 
ni'-tai-kris-im-Ili '-pi-nan,  we  have  drunk, 
ki-tai'-kris-im-ili'-pi-nan,  you  have  drunk. 
a-tai'-kris-im-Tli'-pi-nan,  they  have  drunk. 

sim-it'  (sing,  imp.)  drink, 
ak-sim'-i-op  (pi.  imp.)  drink  all  of  you. 


a-i-mi,  to  laugh. 

ni-tai'-ira,  I  laugh, 
ki-tai'-iui,  thou  laughcst. 
ai-im'-i-o,  he  laughs, 
ni-tai'-iin-pih'-pin,  we  laugh, 
ki-tai'-im-plli'-po,  you  laugh, 
ai-im'-i-a,  they  laugh. 

ni-tai'-a-kim,  I  will  laugh, 
ki-tai'-a-kim,  thou  wilt  laugh, 
ai-a-ksim-i-o,  he  will  laugh, 
ni-tai'-a-ksim-pih'-pin,  we  will  laugh, 
ki-tai'-a-ksim-pili'-po,  you  will  laugh, 
ai-a-ksim-i-a,  they  will  laugh. 

ni-tai'-kris-tsim,  I  have  laughed, 
ki-tai'-kris  tsim,  thou  hast  laujrhed. 

'  O 

ai'-kris-tsim'-i-o,  he  has  laughed, 
ni-tai'-kris-tsim' -pili-pin,  we  have  laughed, 
ki-tai'-kris-tsim'-pih-po,  you  have  laughed, 
ai'-kris-tsim'-i-a,  they  have  laughed. 

ai-im'-it  (imp.)  laugh. 

nit-i-a'-sto,  I  come,  or  am  coming, 
kit-i-a'-sto,  thou  comest,  or  art  coming, 
i-a'-sto,  he  comes,  or  is  coming, 
nit-i-a-stokh'-pi-nan,  they  come,  or  are  coining, 
kit-i-a-stokh'-pi-nan,  you  come,  or  are  coming, 
i-a-sto'-ylks,  they  come,  or  are  coming. 

nit-i-pi-o'-ksa-po,  I  am  coming  here, 
kit-i-pi-o'-ksa-po,  thou  art  coming  here, 
i-pi-o'-ksa-po,  he  is  coming  here, 
nit-i-pi-o'-ksa-poh'-pi-nan,  we  are  coming  here, 
kit-i-pi-o'-ksa-poli'-pi-nan,  you  are  coming  here. 
i-pi-o'-ksa-po'-Iks,  they  are  coming  here. 

ni-ti'-a-ko'-to-nie-po'-ksa-po,  I  will  come  here, 
ki-ti'-a-ko'-to-mc-po'-ksa-po,  thou  wilt  come  here, 
i'-a-ko'-to-me-po'-kpa-po,  he  will  come  here, 
ni-ti'-n-ko'-to-me-po'-ksa-poh'-pi-nan,   we  will    come 
here. 


INDIA.N   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


263 


ki-ti'-a-ko'-to-mc-po'-ksa-po-pu'-wa-wa,  you  will  come 

here, 
a-ti'-a-ko'-to-me-po'-ksa-po'-iks,  they  will  come  here. 

ni-kai'-a-po'-ksa-po,  I  have  come  here, 
ki  kai'-a-po'-ksa-po,  thou  hast  come  here, 
a-kai'-a-po'-ksa-po,  he  has  come  here, 
ni-kai'-a-po'-ksa-poli'-pi-nan,  we  have  come  here, 
ki-kai'-a-po'-ksa-puli'-pu-wa'-wa,  you  have  conic  here. 
a-kai'-a-po'-ksa-po'-Iks,  they  have  come  here. 

po-ksa-po'-at  (imp.  sing.),  come  here, 
po-ksa-pok'  (imp.  plu.),  come  here. 

ni-ko'-ta-me-po'-ksa-po,  have  I  come  here, 
ki-ko'-ta-me-po'-ksa-po,  hast  thou  come  here, 
ko'-ta-mc-p'o'-ksa-po,  has  he  come  here, 
ni-ko'-ta-me-po'-ksa-poh'-pi-nan,  have  we  come. 
ki-ko'-ta-me-po'-ksa-pol\'-pu-wa'-wa,  have  you  come. 
ko'-ta-me-po'-ksa-po'-Iks,  have  they  come  here, 
seli'-ta-i-a'-kso-po'-ksa-po,  perhaps  he  will  come. 

kit-a'-ni-sta,  I  told  you, 

kit-a'-ni-ku'-a,  he  told  you. 

ni-ta'-nik,  he  told  me. 

ta-ni-ki'-nan,  he  told  us. 

ma-to'-ki-nan  (imp.),  take  us. 

mis-ta-plkst'  (imp.),  throw  away. 

e-a'-kse-ni,  he  is  going  to  die. 

e-a'-kse-ka-mi'-ta,  I  think  he  will  live. 

sput'-se-ko-i-ta'-po,  he  has  gone  to  the  sandhills, — a 

common  expression,  meaning,  he  is  dead, 
sput'-se-ko-i-ta'-pi-ki'-mi-taps,  he,  poor  man,  has  gone 

under,  is  dead. 

kc-ai'-yo-nit-si-nu'-a,  I  saw  a  bear, 
ke-ai'-yo-kit-si-nu'-a,  you  saw  a  bear, 
ke-ai'-yo-u-tsi-nu'-a,  he  saw  a  bear, 
ke-ai'-yo-nit-si-nu'-a-nan,  we  saw  a  bear, 
po-ksi-pip'-i-no'-tos,  bring  my  horse, 
pok-sup'-sko-no'-tos,  drive  my  horse  here, 
pok  -  sup'-  sko-o-mo'-ksim  -  po-no-ka'-  mi  -  teks,    drive 

those  horses  here. 


si-mi'-a-pi-so-mo'-ksira-po-no-ka'-mi-teks,  water  those 

horses. 

sa-pik'-si-mait,  light  the  pipe. 
kah-o'-6is,  come  and  smoke, 
kit-o'-ta-tsi-wa'-ni-nte-a-ka'-ksi-te-kc,  when  I  meet  you, 

I  shall  be  happy, 
e-a'-kso-tau,  it  is  going  to  rain, 
ni-tes'-tau-e-a'-kso-tau,  I  think  it  is  going  to  rain, 
ma-ti-a'-kso-tau,  it  is  not  going  to  rain. 
ni-ma'-tis-tah -pa-a'-kso-tau,  I  do  not  wish  it  to  rain, 
is-tali'-si-a'-kso-tau,  I  would  like  to  see  it  rain, 
so'-tau,  it  is  raining, 
jfli-po'-tau,  it  snows, 
e-a-kali'-po-tau,  it  is  going  to  snow, 
ma-ti'-a-kah'-po-tau,  it  is  not  going  to  snow, 
ma-tali-po-tau,  it  is  not  snowing, 
ah-sats'-kit-a'-pa-suin'-i,  for  what  arc  you  searching  ? 
i-mi'-wa-nc-he  tali'-tai,  the  river  is  high, 
ma-tsi'-wa-ne-he-tah'-tai,  the  river  is  not  high, 
ni-pe'-po-tat-a-pin'-a-ku,  it  is  daylight,  I  will  make  u 

fire. 

po-ci'-di-mi-ni,  stir  up  the  fire. 
to-koli'-i-tsa-tso-pats',  give  me  some  powder. 
ni-pis-6i'-o-koli'-it,  give  me  a  blanket, 
tsi-mak-tu'-i-ta-po,  where  has  he  gone  ? 
a-mi-to'-ksai-ta'-po,  gone  up  the  river, 
ki-a'-pi-te-ksi-na-pu'-is,  there  are  a  few  houses  there, 
nit-ai'-is-ci'-nit,  I  cut  it  off. 
kit-ai'-is-<5i'-nit,  you  cut  it,  off. 
et-ai'-is-ci'-nit,  he  cuts  it  off. 
nit-ai'-is-ci-nlh'-pi-nan,  we  cut  it  off. 
kit-ai-is-c'i-mh'-pi-nan,  you  cut  it  off. 
et-ai-ci-nih'-pi-nan,  they  cut  it  off. 
as-cl'-nit,  to  cut  off. 
nit-au'-a-sen,  I  cry. 
kit-au'-a-sen,  you  cry. 
nit-eli'-pi,  I  dance, 
kit-eh'-pi,  you  dance. 

i-a'-ksa-kris'-ta-ku,  it  is  approaching  daylight, 
a-ni-stis'-ko-ksa-po'-a,  tell  him  to  get  up. 


VOL.  XII.- 


264 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY  AND  PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


NAMES   OF   BANDS   OF   THE   BLACKFOOT 

pi-kun'-i,*  Piegans. 
kai'-e-na,  Blood  Indians, 
sik-si-ka',  Blackfcet. 

1.  a-pi-kai'-yiks,  The  Polecat  Band. 

2.  ko-te'-yi-miks,  The  Band  that  do  not  laugh. 

3.  si-koli'-i-tsim,  The  Band  with  black  doors. 

4.  a-iniks'-eks,  Little  Kobes. 

5.  e-poli '-si-nnks,  The  Band  that  fries  fat. 

6.  sus-kso'-ylks,  The  Band  with  hairy  mouths. 

7.  mo-ta'-tots,  The  Band  that  are  all  medicine  men. 

8.  is-ksi'-na-tup-i,  The  Worm  people.  • 

9.  kai'-it-ko-ki'-ki-naks,  White-breasted  Band. 

10.  a'-pe-tup-i,  The  Blood  people. 

11.  e-ka-to'-pi-staks,  The  Band  that  have  finished 
packing,  as  bales  of  anything. 

12.  si-ka'-tsi-po-maks,  The  Band  with  black  patched 
moccasins. 

13.  ne-ta'-ka-ski-tsi-pup'-iks,  People  that  have  their 
own  way,  that  listen  to  no  one. 


NATION,    AND   PRINCIPAL    CHIEFS. 

1.  ko-te-tsi'-tsi-man,  The  man  who  cannot  overtake 
the  buffalo. 

2.  i-tut'-tsi-ki'-o-pi,  The  man  who  sits  in  the  middle. 

3.  im-i-te'-sko-mali-an,  The  dog  that  goes  back. 

4.  ni-nai'-po-a-ksin,  The  man  who  rises  in  the  morn 
ing. 

5.  ni-na-kai'-i-yo,  Bear  chief. 

C.  kit-si-po'-ni-sta,  This  name  indicates  any  animal 
that  has  an  unnatural  color,  and  lives  on  the  side 
of  a  hill  or  mountain,  as  a  white  buffalo,  white 
skunk,  &c. 

7.  i-muli'-se-ko-kau,  Large  painted  lodge. 

8.  sta-tsi-stum'-ik,  Underneath  the  bull. 

9.  pu-no-ka'-it-si-ni'-na,  Elk  tongue. 

10.  ni-na-sta'-ko-i,  Mountain  chief. 

11.  stum'-i-ko-tu'-kan,  Bull's  head. 

12.  im-e-te'-ko-cn,  Little  Dog. 

13.  o-ni-ste'-po-ka-o,  Young  white  calf. 


NAMES  OF  SOME  OF  THE  BANDS  OF  THE  KAl'-E-NA. 

i-ni'-po-i,  Buffalo  rising  up,— meaning  rather  obscure.         ni-tet'-ska-Iks,  They  that  fight  by  themselves, 
sik-si-no'-kai-iks,  Black  Elks.  mum-i'-o-yiks,  Fish-caters. 


NAMES    OF   PERSONS   AND 

kut-e-se'-pi-a,  They  did  not  rush,  as  upon  an  enemy, 
e-sta-po'-a-wali'-au,  Walking  off. 
ma-kris'-kum,  Spring  of  water, 
ah'-se-i-ni'-ki-o,  She  that  did  not  kill, 
pali-tok'-sai-ki-o,  The  woman  of  the  pine, 
ai-ki'-o-pi,  The  sitting  squaw,  a  Gros  Venires  chief, 
ku'-ti-na-a'-pi,  Old  Kootenay,  a  Blackfoot  chief, 
ni-te'-na,  The  only  chief, 
he-ka'-ske-ne,  Low  horn, 
ni-na'-i-sta'-ko,  Mountain  chief, 
pu-no-ka'-ni-na,  Elk  chief, 
o-ni-sta'-a-kop,  The  sitting  calf. 


NEIGHBORING   TRIBES. 

o-ni-sta'-sa-nu'-ku-en,  The  calf  out  of  sight, 
stum-i-ko'-sak,  Bull's  back  fat. 
na-to'-so-o-ni-sta',  The  medicine  calf, 
sa-ku'-i-stum'-ik,  Hindmost  bull, 
noli'-ska-stum'-ik,  The  three  bulls. 

i-sa-po'-a,  The  Crow  Indians, 
ko-toli'-spi-tup'-i-o,  The  Flathead  Indians, 
ko-mun'-i-tup'-i-o,  Green  Paint  Indians,  Ncz  Perec's, 
ni-he-ta-te-tup'-i-o,  Pend  Oreilfes. 
pi-6i'-kse-ni-tup'-i-o,  Snake  Indians, 
mum-i'-tup-i-o,  Fish  Indians. 


NAMES   OF    MAMMALS. 


stum'-ik,  a  buffalo  bull.     Bos  Amcrtcanus. 
ski-ni',  a  cow. 
o-ni-stalis',  a  calf. 


pu'-no-ka-o,  a  general  term  for  elk.      Ccrvus  Cana- 

densis. 
pu'-no-ka-stum'-ik,  a  male  elk. 


*  Sec  page  250. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE    MISSOURI    VALLEY. 


265 


pu'-no-ka-pu'-l;a,  a  young  elk. 
i-si'-ko-ti,  black-tailed  deer.      Cervus  macro/Is. 
o-muk-i'-ki-na,  big-horn.      Ovis  monlana. 
a-wa'-to-yi,  white-tailed  deer.      Cervus  leucurus. 
so-ki'-a-wa'-kos,  antelope.    Antihcapra  Americana. 

(so-ki',  a  prairie,  and  a-wa'-kos,  deer.) 
a-pu'-muk-i-na,  a  white  big-horn.     Aplocerus  mon- 

tanus. 

kai'-yo,  a  grizzly  bear.      Ursus  liorribiUs. 
kai-yi-pu'-ka,  a  young  bear, 
si'-ko-kai'-yo,  a  black  bear.      Ursus  Americanus. 
sik-so-so',  a  moose.     Alee  Americanus. 
kris-tuk'-i,  a  beaver.      Castor  Canadcnsis. 
kris-tuk'-i-pu'-ka,  a  young  beaver, 
i-si'-tsi,  a  wolverine.      Gulo  litscus. 
mi-sin'-sku,  a  badger.      Taxidea  Americana. 
a-pi'-sin,  large  wolf.      Cam's  occidentalis. 
sna'-o,  medicine  wolf.      Canis  latrans. 
o-ta'-to-yi,  red  fox.      Vulpes  macrourus. 
si-no-pa',  small  kit  fox.      Vulpes  velox. 
pi-no-tu'-yi,  a  fisher.     Mustela  Pennanti. 


au'-mo-nis,  an  otter.     Lutra  Canadensis. 
so'-yi-kai'-yi,  a  mink.     Putorius  niyreseens. 
mus-op'-ski,  a  muskrat.     Fiber  zibethicus. 
u-muk'-u-ka-ta,  a  large  prairie  dog.      Ci/nomys  ludo- 

vicianus. 
kit-si' -su-inu-ku'-ka-ta,  a  small  prairie  dog.      Cyno- 

mys  Gunni'sonii. 

kai'-ska,  a  porcupine.     Erethizon  epixanthus. 
a-pi'-a-kai-yi,  striped  back,  a  skunk.     Mephitis  me- 

phitica. 

a'-pa,  a  weasel  in  winter  pilage. 
o-mu'-ka-pa,  a  large  weasel, 
o'-ta,  summer  weasel. 

si-ka-ci'-sta,  sage  rabbit.     Lcpus  artcmisia. 
o-muk'-a-ci'-sta,  jackass  rabbit.     Lepus  campestris. 
i'-kais,  a  pine  squirrel.     Sciurus  Huihonius. 
i-a-tsi'-ki,    thirteen-lined    squirrel.      Spermophilus 

tridccem-lineatus. 
ka'-na-skin,  a  wood  mouse. 

o-muh'-a-ka'-na-skin,  a  wood  rat.     Neotoma.  cinerca. 
so-yi'-ka'-na-skin,  a  water  mouse. 


NAMES   OP   BIRDS. 


pi-ta'-o,  the  war  eagle, 
si-kit-si-nai'-aks,  a  black  eagle. 
i-si-sun'-i-kim,  the  bald  eagle, 
si-kai',  a  buzzard, 
a-pe-ta-pun'-i-ki-mi,  a  fish  hawk, 
si-ke-ta-ptin'-i-ki-mi,  a  brown  fish  hawk, 
si-kup'-e-ta-pun'-i-ki-mi,  a"  gray  hawk, 
kse'-ni,  a  cow  bunting. 
o-muk-sa'-kse-ni,  a  crow  blackbird, 
a-pi-a-ksa'-kse-ni,  a  brown  blackbird, 
so-yi'-ksi-ni,  a  water  blackbird, 
mi-e-kut'-si,  a  kind  of  duck, 
mi-e'-sa,  a  fish  duck, 
ap-spi'-ni,  the  common  wild  goose, 
kai'-yi,  a  kind  of  gull, 
o-muk-sa'-kai-yi,  a  large  gull, 
a-pit-so'-to-yi,  small  prairie  plover, 
a-muk'-o-pit-so'-to-yi,  large  prairie  plover, 
kit-se-pit-'se-ku'-yi, 
ni-a'-tsi,  a  killdeer  plover. 


o-muk'-a-tsi,  a  large  killdeer. 
sik-se-kun'-i-ki-su'-yi,  a  black  woodpecker, 
mi-ki'-ma-ta,  a  kind  of  small  speckled  woodpecker, 
o-muk-si-ki'-ma-ta,  red-headed  woodpecker, 
oli'-u-mi,  the  domestic  hen,  or  the  bird  that  screams, 
a-pin'-a-ku-sis-tse,  the  morning  bird, 
i-si-kau'-kai-yi,  the  lark, 
ni-pu'-ma-ki,  tomtit, 
ma'-sto,  a  beaver, 
ki'-to-ki,  the  common  prairie  hen. 
o-muk'-si-ki'-to-ki,  large  prairie  hen,  sage  cock, 
kit'-si-it'-sim,  pheasant. 
pi-ksi-ka'-c"i,  teal  duck. 
pi'-ksi,  a  fish  hawk, 
ma'-ma-a-cr-kim,  the  magpie. 
pi-6i'-ksin,  a  small  snake. 
o-muk'-si-6i'-ksin,  the  rattlesnake. 
mu-cT-e-ku-cT-man,  a  frog, 
o-muk'-i-ei-e-ku-ci'-man,  a  large  toad, 
ma-ni'-ski  (pi.  -skiks),  water  lizards  . 


266 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


sko'-pi  (pi.  -piks),  tortoises. 

ma-to'-is-^i,  a  hair  worm. 

i-ski-se'-na  (pi.  -naks),  worms. 

a-po'-ni  (pi.  -niks),  butterflies. 

tse-ka'-a-tse  (pi.  -tse-Iks),  grasshoppers. 

tup-i-kai'-nirn,  a  large  cricket. 

si-ki-tup'-i-kai,  a  common  cricket. 

at-si'-na-ko,  a  mosquito  hawk. 

sus-kris'-i,  a  mosquito. 

o-muk-sus'-kris-i,  a  large  horsefly. 

ut-si'-mo-sus'-kri-si,  a  stinking  fly  that  swarms  about 

meat, 
u-sko'-kin,  a  large  ant. 


o-ko'-ma,  a  body  louse. 

a-tse'-tsi-ksim,  cottonwood. 

ka-po'-ksim,  the  ash. 

pah '-tok,  pine. 

sik-si-no-kok',  cedar,  or  blackberry  pine,  so  called 

from  its  black  fruit, 
o-toli'-o-tsist.      Opuntia  JUissoun'ensls. 
6t-sta'-tsi-man.      0.  Nuttalli. 
ak-spis',  gummy  weed.      GrinJclia  Kqiiarrosa. 
inas,  pomme  blanche.     Paoralea  esculenta. 
ots-eV-nist,  strawberry.     Fragaria  Virginiana. 


CHAPTER     V. 

VOCABULARY   OF   THE    SIK-SI-KA'    OR   BLACKFOOT   LANGUAGE. 


A. 

across,  a-pum'-ots. 

Adam's  apple,  i-to-kits'-kris-tun. 

after  a  while,  ni-ta'-tum-i ;  'I  will  come  after  a  while, 
ni-ta'-tum-i-tup'-o. 

air,  a-mi-puk'. 

alive,  e-te'-pi. 

all,  it-si'-na-ka ;  the  whole,  ki'-na ;  all,  entirely,  mo- 
tu'-sa  ;  all  icy,  mo-tu'-sa-ko-ku'-to. 

ankle,  ki-tali'-o-kin-a'-ki. 

annoying,  ska'-aps. 

arm,  o'-tis ;  right  arm,  i-toli'-si ;  left  arm,  i-a-kris'-o- 
oks. 

armpit,  oli-ris'. 

around  or  about,  a-ko'-kats;  around  about  the  vil 
lage,  ko-na'-to-ka'-to-a-ko'-kats . 

to  arrive,  ma'-no-tu. 

arrow,  aps,  or  ap'-si;  an  arrow  point,  sa'-ku-pun; 
who  owns  these  arrows  ?  ta'-ka-mi-a-psi'-wa. 

ashamed,  ne-tu'-yis. 

ashes,  muks-kit'-si. 

asleep,  o'-kauj  sleeping,  i-yo'-kau. 

to  be  astonished,  ki-o'-to. 

at,  u-ni'-mai ;  at  the  house,  mu-yis'-u-ni'-mai. 

autumn,  mu-ku'. 

axe,  ko'-ksa-kin. 


B. 

back,  as  the  back  part  of  the  head  or  body,  na-ka'- 

kin-i ;  back,  backward,  ali-pa-to'-tsi;  back,  in  past 

time,  mi-sani'. 
bad,  ba-kaps',  ba-ka'-psu,  me-ska'-psu ;  a  bad  boy,  ba- 

ka'-psa-ko-ma'-pi. 
bank,  of  the  river,  at-siks' ;  the  bank  is  near  by,  it- 

sat'-siks. 

bark,  of  a  tree,  o-tok'-skris. 
barrel,  su'-5-in. 
beads  :  red  beads,  a-mank'-sku ;  black  beads,  si-ksi'-no- 

ku ;  white  beads,  about  the  size  of  pigeons'  eggs, 

used  in  the  Indian  trade,  cik'-sku. 
beak,  of  a  bird,  pi-kso'-kris-is. 
beans,  o-to'-ksi-nu'-tsi. 
beard,  mo-yo'-yi. 
bed,  sa'-a-kan. 
behind,  a-pa-toli'-si. 
belly,  o-ku'-a. 

belt,  or  sash,  me-pis ;  pi.  me-pis6'. 
to  bend,  ta-wa'-ksi-pin'-a-ki ;  bent,  a-ksi-kin'-o-tuks. 
better,  su-kaps'. 

between  or  among,  sc-to-ko'ksin. 
beyond,  sa-toh'-si;  beyond  the  ridge,  pau-ali'-u-i-sa- 

toli'-si. 
black,  sik-si-nim'. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


267 


bowels,  pi-stum'-i. 

bowl,  or  plate,  su-in'-ta-dis. 

box,  ai-i-su'. 

boy,  sa-ko'-ma-pi ;  a  boy  without  finger  or  toe  nails, 

sa-ko'-ma-pi-e-kai'-sa-na. 
brains,  o'-pi. 

blanket,  na-pis'-di ;  a  green  blanket,  ut-skai'-pis-di. 
blisters,  arising  on  the  skin  from  burning,  a-moh'-sa- 

wa-nit'-si. 
blood,  a-pau'-ni. 

blow  the  nose,  i-mi-ei'-kin-i,  to  blow  the  nose. 
blue,  ot-ku'-e-nut'-sc. 
boat,  or  canoe,  a-ki'-oh-sa'-c'is ;  steamboat,  a-ki-oli-sa'- 

dis-a-mi'-to ;  also,   is-di'-a-ki-oli-sa'-dis,  fire-boat; 

is-di',  fire ;  ferry-boat,  the  boat  that  crosses  people 

over  the  river,  i-mali'-ta-pa-to-di'-wa. 
bog,  low  wet  ground,  pali-si-kaij'-ku-i. 
boil,  i-kih'-an ;   a  sore  containing  pus,  i-ta'-cis ;  the 

pus  of  the  sore,  a-dis'-i-o. 
bone,  oh '-in ;  collar-bone,  i-sa-mi'-kan. 
book,  a  pile  of  folded  leaves,  sa-pa'-ko-tsi-na'-ksi. 
both,  or  two,  sem-is'-to. 
bottle,  so-ko'-ka-tos. 
bow,  spe'-kin-a-ma. 
brass,  ko-te-ke'-me ;  also,  o-tai'-kim  ;  small  brass  bells, 

used   in   the  trade,  mo-soli '-i-ki-ni ;    small   brass 

nails,  e-tus'-ta-kai'-6p. 
brave,  ma'-di,  also  ma'-tsi. 
to  break,  si'-nit.. 
breechcloth,  oh-e'-a-ksa'-cis. 
brother,  elder  brother,  nis'-a;    younger  brother,  ni'- 

skuni. 

broom,  na-mu'-ki-ma-dis. 
broth,  o'-pis. 

to  brush,  as  clothes,  ta-sa-tsi'-ni  o';s. 
buffalo,  in  a  mass,  i-ni'-wa;  a  mad  bull,  ma-ni-kris'- 

stum'-ik ;  a   mad    cow,    ma-ni-kris'-ski-ni' ;    the 

dried   excrement  of  the  buffalo,  "  buiFalo  chips," 

kah'-plh-ta. 

to  burn,  e-nit'-se  ;  burnt,  it'-sin-it'-se. 
butterfly,  a-po'-ni. 
to  buy,  puui'-at. 
by,  passing  by,  stut-sko'-a;  by  the  house,  or  passing 

by  the  house,  stut-sko'-a-mu-yis'. 


C. 

to  call,  uiu-ta'-ni-stis. 
to  carry,  a-wa'-se-ni. 
circingle,  for  a  horse,  is-ksi'-si-pi-staud'. 
chair,  so-pats'. 
cherries,  puli'-i. 
chief,  niu'-a;  pi.  nin'-aks. 
child,  po'-ka ;  pi.  po'-klks;  o-kos' is  also  used;  po'-ka, 

denotes  an  infant, 
chin,  op-ski'-na. 
claw,  of  a  bird,  pi-kso'-ki-dis. 
to  climb,  a-tnis'-o. 
cloth,  nai-pis'-di ;  blue  cloth,  si-kai'-pis-di ;  black  cloth, 

sik-si-nuts' ;  red  cloth,  mali'-ai-pis'-di. 
cloud,  so-kris'-te-ko-is;  far  beyond  the  clouds,  so-kris- 

te-ko'-is-mi-sto-po'-ats ;  cloudy  weather,  a-su'-kris- 

te-ku'-i. 

coat,  su'-kos ;  chief's  coat,  ni-ni'-o-su'-kos. 
coffee,  ai-sik-si-ki'-mi;  a  cofifee-pot,  kri-su'-yi. 
cold,  stu'-yi;  I  ain  not  cold,  mis-di'-stu-yi ;  I  am  cold, 

nis-tu'-yi ;  you  are  cold,  kis-tu'-yi. 
come,  quickly,  in  a  hurry,  a-ke'-po-kse-po'-at. 
to  cook,  ap'-sat ;  to  cook  different  kinds  of  food  in  a 

pot  together,  a-yq'-sit. 
copper,  me-ko-ti'-ke-me. 

cord,  a-pis' ;  a  rope  made  of  hemp,  a-pis'-ta-pi'-kin. 
cough,  ses-ki'-na. 
coulee,  sau-auh'-tai. 

cow,  ski'-ni ;  domestic  cow,  a-pot'-ski-ni. 
crazy,  raat'-saps. 
to  cry,  au-a-scn'. 
crooked,  yu-mo'-ki-o. 
to  crumble,  as  food,  si-si-ki'-a. 
cup,  kus. 

curious,  pi-si-ta'-pi ;  a  curious  dog,  pi-si-ta'-pi-im'-i-ta'o. 
to  cut  or  split  the  feather  from  a  quill,  te-a-kris'-ta-ta- 


D. 

to  dance,  eh'-pi;  I  dance,  nit-eh'-pi;  you  dance,  kit- 

eli'-pi. 

darkness,  ske-nut'-si. 
daughter  (my),  ni-tun'-a. 
day,  kris-te-ku'-e. 


268 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY    AND    PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


to  die,  a'-ni ;  dead,  a-ni'-wa ;  I  die,  ni-ta'-ni ;  you  die, 
ki-ta'-ni. 

deer,  a-wa'-kos ;  a  white-tailed  deer,  a-wa'-to-yi  -t  prai 
rie  deer,  antelope,  so-ki'-a-wa'-kos. 

deep,  mi'-a. 

to  destroy,  mo'-tsa. 

dog,  im-i-ta'-o;  a  young  dog,  im-i-te'-ku-en ;  you  are 
a  dog,  im-i-te'-ta-pi. 

door,  kit'-sim. 

down,  na-po' ;  gone  down  the  river,  wai-na-po'. 

dreadful,  ko-ma'-pi. 

to  drink,  a-sim'-i. 

dry,  e-ki'-ksi-o;  it  is  dry,  e-ki-ksu'-yi ;  dried  apples, 
a'-pa-sta-mi-na'-tsi, — so  called  because  they  look 
like  rotten  wood. 

dust,  sis-ce' ;  dust  flying,  sis-6e'-pu-ka. 

E. 

eagle,  pi-ta' ;  pi.  pi-teks'. 

ear,  oli'-to-kis ;  the  external  ear,  oli'-o-oli'-to-kis. 
earth.,  suli'-um. 
easily,  ki-na'-pi. 
to  eat,  o'-yi. 
egg,  o'-wa. 
elbow,  o-kin'-stis. 
enemy,  ni-kuli'-to-ma. 
enough,  ki'-nai-e. 
evening,  o-to-ku'. 

every,  each,  ki-nai' ;  everybody,  ki-nai-tup'-i. 
eye,  a-waps'-pits ;  eye  winkers  and  brows,  u-uii-a'-pi- 
nan ;  eyelids,  ko-wap'-spi. 

F. 

face,  o-sto'-ksis. 

to  fall,  e-ni'-si ;  falling,  e-ni'-si-wa. 

far  off,  at  a  distance,  pi-oli'-tsi ;  a  little  way.  a  little 

distance,  o-te'-stsi ;  near  by,  a-stsi'. 
fat,  o-tsi-nau'-a. 
father,  ni-i-na',  or  ni-na'. 
feather,  pi-kso'-ku-is. 
fear,  ko'-pum. 
to  feel,  ti-e'-nim. 
few,  ki-a'-pi,  scattered. 


fine,  ma-tso'-waps;  a  fine  horse,  ma-tso-wa'-psi-no-ko'- 

mi-ta-o;  also,  ma-tsi'-no-ko'-mi-ta-o. 
finger,  o-ki'-cis;  thumb  or  large  finger,  o-ma-ki'-cis ; 

little  finger,  o-tsa-na'-ki-6is ;    finger-rings,  sa-pe'- 

ki-co-sa'-cis ;  the  fingernails,  ta-wa-ka'-no-ki'-cis ; 

the  joints  of  the  finger,  i-ta-ku'-yi-kit-si'-pi. 
to  fight,  it-skan'. 

fish,  ruum'-i;  a  fish-line,  mih'-a-tsis. 
fire,  is-cT,  also,  is-ci'-wa;  a  plenty  of  fire,  a-kau'-is-c-i. 
flame,  pa-ku'-is. 
flint,  kris-a'-ki-ta. 
flood,  i-ka-ku'-yi. 
flour,  ai-ki'-ta-top. 
flower,  ki-ni'-wa. 
to  fold  the  arms,  a-nc'-i-kin-sak. 
fool,  mat-saps'  j  foolish,  a-wa-tsaps'. 
foot,  oli'-ats. 
forehead,  o'-mis. 
forest,  ut-si-wat'-sku-i. 
forever,  es-ksa'-a-ni'-ste. 
friend,  nit-sili'-i-wa. 
frightful,  sku-ni'-ta-pi. 

G. 

garnishing,  on  a  robe,  a-to-nus'-i. 
get  up  (imp.),  ni-pu'-uk. 
to  give,  ko'-dis;  give  me,  ko'-kit;  I  give  it  to  you, 

ki-to'-ko-ta-o;  you  give,  ki-ta'-kum. 
girl,  a-ke'-ku-en. 
glove,  o-tsec'. 
glue,  tek-spo'-te-ku. 
gold,  same  name  as  brass. 
to  go,  a'-ma-to;  go  (imp.),  po-ko'-mis;  go  with  them, 

po-ko'-mi-sa-o;  go  away,  mi-sto-po'-at;  to  go  ahead, 

a-ma'-tup-i-is6'. 
good,  ali'-si-o ;  a  good  house,  ah'-si-mu-yis' ;  a  good 

boy,  ali'-si-sa-ko-ma'-pi ;  all  good,  ki'-nai-ali'-si-o ; 

beyond  good,  best  of  all,  mis-ti-poks' -ali'-si-o ;  he 

alone  is  good,  i-tai-ali '-si-o ;  there  are  none  so  good, 

i-tai-mali'-si-o. 
good  while,  wai-sa'-mo ;  he  is  gone  a  long  time,  wai- 

sa'-ma-ma'-to. 
grass,  ma-tu'-yis. 
grease,  po-mis'. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY. 


269 


great,  sku'-na-taps. 

green,  ut-sku'-i. 

ground,  sa'-ko;  in  the  ground,  sa-ko'-mi-it-si'-o;  ground, 

the  surface  of  which  is  covered  with  little  butes, 

or  hillocks,  pi-kah'-o. 
grove  of  trees,  u-tso'-a-sku-yi. 
gum  of  the  pine,  a-wa'-ksis. 
gun,  na'-ma ;  to  miss  fire,  to  snap  a  gun,  na-mi-ka'- 

kis;  where  is  my  gun?  a-na'-ni-mo. 

II. 

hail,  kris-i'-ki-ni. 

half,  or  a  part,  a-no-kolits'. 

hallo  !  i'-ya. 

hair,  tu-ko-ili'-in-i-pi ;  long-haired,  i-nu'-spi ;  hair  on 
the  upper  lip,  ma-ta'-ksi-wa'-tsi. 

hammer,  po'-ksa-<5is. 

hand,  me-cill'-se-ku'-ist. 

handsome,  ba-tsi'-nurn,  also,  ah-waps'. 

happy,  a-ksi'-ti-ke. 

hard,  mi-wa ;  hard  wood,  nii-wa-mis-c'is'. 

hat,  i-ci'-mo-kain. 

head,  o-to-kan';  a  kind  of  shell,  of  the  genus  Denta- 
It'um,  used  by  the  Indians  as  ornaments  for  the 
head,  a-pi-ksis'-cim-a-o-ksu'-is. 

to  heal,  a-ki'-o. 

to  hear,  ai-oli'-sim. 

heart,  6h-it'-sa-pa'-pi. 

heavy,  so-ku'  and  so-ke-sini';  both  words  arc  in  use. 

heel,  6h-tu-tun'-i. 

here,  in  this  place,  un-i'-ma,  u'-no-mai. 

to  hesitate,  hold  back,  pe-i-tslh'-tan. 

high,  spi ;  a  high  animal,  spi-mi'-o. 

hill,  pa-wali'-u. 

hip,  oli-i'-ni-sak. 

to  hold,  e-i-ni'-o. 

hole,  ah-a'-ni-ka. 

honest,  ko-mo'-tsi ;  an  honest  man,  ko-mo'-tsi-tup'-i. 

horn,  ot-ski'-na. 

horse,  pu-no-ka'-mi-ta,  literally  elk  dog,  from  pu-no- 
ka'-o,  an  elk,  and  im-i-ta'-o,  a  dog;  mi-o'-mi-ta 
(pi.  mi-o'-nii-teks),  pack  horses;  another  form  is 
in  use  in  declension  denoting  possession :  my 
horse,  no-tos';  your  horse,  ko-tos';  his  horse, 


o-tos' ;  his  horses,  o-to'-siks ;  a  white  horse,  a-pi'- 
wa-no'-tos ;  a  gray  horse,  si-ka-pi'-wa-no'-tos ;  a 
horse  with  black  ears,  i-sik'-sta-ki-no'-tos. 

hot,  kris-to'-tsus ;  kris-tu'-yi. 

house,  of  the  white  man,  na-pu'-is,  mu-yis'. 

how,  in  what  way?  tsa'-ni-ta-pi ;  how  many?  sa-na'- 
tsim. 

husband,  o'-ma. 

I. 

ice,  ko-ku'-to. 

if,  i-yo'-pi. 

in,  pis-tolls' ;  in  company  with,  ti-a-koli'-po-ko'-mau ; 

in   company  with   my  son,   ti-a-koli'-po-ko'-mau- 

noli-o'-a. 

Indian,  ni-i'-tsa-ta'-pi. 
intestines,  o'-dis;  manifolds,  or  large  intestines  of  an 

animal,  i-si'-ston. 
island,  mi-ni'-wa. 
iron,  miks'-kim ;  an  iron  frying-pan,  miks-kim'-i-kus ; 

iron  horse,  locomotive,  miks-kim'-o-nu-ka'-mi-ta ; 

iron  wire,  sik-si-ak'-skim. 


J. 


joint,  i-toll'-o-ki'-na-ki. 
joke,  ka-saps'. 
jug,  sa-ku'-ko-tus-ko. 
to  jump,  ell-pa'-sto. 

K. 

kettle,  i'-ski;  isk. 

kidneys,  o-to-ko-to'-kisc ;  also  o-tok'. 
to  kill,  i-ni'-ki-o. 
kiss,  so-nau'-ski-pi. 
kinnic-kinnic,  a-pi'-ni-kim. 
knee,  o-to'-ksi. 

knife,  stu'-un  ;  a  sheath  for  a  knife,  a-so'-tu-un ;  a  two- 
edged  knife  or  sword,  sa-ma-kin'. 

L. 

lake,  o-muh'-si-ki-mi. 
land,  ali'-o;   a  country,  sa'-ko;   the  whole   country, 

ki'-na-sa'-ko. 
large,  a-pa'-ki ;  a  largo  quantity,  o-muh'-u ;  a  heap, 

a-kau'-I,  also  a-ku'-a-wa. 


270 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


lately,  i'-so. 

to  laugh,  a-i'-mi. 

lazy,  buli-aps'  or  ba-kaps' ;  a  lazy  fellow,  good  for  no 
thing,  pah'-i-kah'-si-o. 

lead,  o-wak'-shu-pa. 

leaf,  nips;  also  so-yo'-poj  dry  leaves,  so-yo'-po-kist. 

leg,  o-kuts' ;  leg  below  the  knee,  a-tse'-na  ;  calf  of  the 
leg,  Oh -ki'-nan  ;  an  instrument  for  dressing  robes, 
made  from  the  leg-bone  of  the  antelope,  ma'-ski. 

leggins,  aVtsi. 

lengthwise,  i-kum'-o ;  splits  lengthwise,  i-kum'-o-i-sta- 
to'-ksi. 

less,  o-wa'-tu-ksi. 

level  plain,  mi-ni-stah'-wah-u. 

light,  kris-ti-ku'-e-nut'-si. 

lightning,  i'-pa-pum. 

like,  ni-tu'-i ;  he  is  like  my  son,  ni-tu'-ni-i-tso-dli-u'-i ; 
just  like,  as  he  is  just  like  his  father,  a-ye'-ko-no- 
tse;  like,  applied  to  any  object  but  persons,  ni- 
tum'-a-nis'-tsi-num'-i-a. 

limb,  of  a  tree,  o-ku'-niks. 

to  listen,  kris-to-ci'-si. 

little,  small,  a-nuks';  a  small  man,  a-nuk-si'-na ;  a 
little  or  small  quantity,  no-tse-nah'-o ;  give  me  a 
little,  no-tse-nah'-o-kdh'-it. 

to  live,  e-ta'-pi ;  I  live,  nit-se-ta'-ta-pi  •  you  live,  kit- 
se-ta'-ta-pi. 

lodge,  mu-yis';  a  beaver  lodge,  kris-tuk-u-o-yis ;  a  hole 
or  rent  in  the  lodge,  ah'-un-ih-a;  pins  driven  into 
the  ground,  to  fasten  down  the  bottom  of  the 
lodge,  i-sto-ka'-cis ;  the  holes  in  the  lower  edges 
of  the  lodge  where  the  pegs  are  inserted,  pi-ki'; 
pins  to  fasten  the  side  of  the  lodge-skin,  after  it 
is  erected,  sa-pi'-ki-na-na-ma'-6is;  the  act  of  tying 
the  lodge-poles  at  the  top,  a-tu'-ksi-pi'-stan ;  the 
hole  in  the  top  of  the  lodge  to  let  out  the  smoke, 
ma-o-to'-tsi-man ;  lodge-poles,  ma'-ni-stam. 

long,  i-nu'-ye. 

long  ago,  a-ka'-a;  I  was  displeased  with  you  long 
ago,  a-ka'-a-o-ki'-ma-su-ki. 

look  (imp.),  sum'-is;  look  at  me,  i-suru'-o-kit ;  look 
at  me,  I  am  ugly,  sum'-o-ki-tun'-i-to-kaps ;  look! 
he  looks  ugly,  sum'-is-sum'-o-kaps. 

lost,  a'-tsa. 


louse,  tut-sc-po'-kok ;  I  am  bitten  by  lice,  ni-tai-sik'- 

si-pfik. 

to  love,  a-ko-mim'. 
low,  e-kuk'. 

M. 

maiden,  a-ki'-a-ko'-a,  (pi.)  a-ki'-a-ko'-aks. 

maize,  or  corn,  bes-ka'-ta,  a  word  derived  from  the 

Arapoho  language. 
mammse,  un'-i-kis,  breasts. 
man,  or  person,  ma-ta'-pi;  a  young,  unmarried  man, 

a-si'-ta-pi ;  also  ma-ni-ka'-pi ;  a  white  man,  na-pi'- 

ku-un ;  a  black  man,  sik-sa-pi'-ku-un. 
mare,  ski'-am. 
marrow-bone,  i-nun'-i. 
mean,  as  a  mean  fellow,  ma-ksi-num'. 
measure,  e-ska'-ki. 

meat,  kai'-yis ;  meat  in  small  fragments,  pi-i'-wa. 
medicine,  drugs,  sa'-am  ;  a  medicine  man,  or  doctor, 

i-su'-ki-wa'-ke;  medicine,  or  mystery,  na-tu'-yi. 
midday,  tut'-se-ka-kris-ta-ku' ;    midnight,   tut'-se-ka'- 

ku-ku. 

middle,  as  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  tut'-se-kuts. 
milk,  u-ni'-kis. 
mirror,  tsa-pi'-a-tsis. 
to  mix,  pa-so'-ko. 
moccasins,  at-si'-kin-i ;  top  of  the  moccasins,  ntuk'-o- 

to'-to-nan;  shoestrings,  sa-pi'-ne-ka'-ats;  to  tie  up 

the  shoes  or  moccasins,  nta'-ksi-naus. 
moon,  ke-sum'. 
more,  stik'-i,  is-di-'ka. 
morning,  ma-to'-nis ;  early  in   the  morning,  &ka-na'- 

to-nis. 

mosquito,  sus-kris'-i. 
mother  (my),  ni-krist'. 
mould,  a-pi-su'-yi ;  mouldy,  a-pi-su'-yi-wa ;  it  will  be 

mouldy,  i-a'-ka-pi-su'-yi ;    to  smell  mouldy,  a-pi- 

su'-yi-e'-mo. 
mountain,  mi-stah'-u. 
mouth,  a-o'-yi ;  my  mouth,  na-o'-yi ;  your  mouth,  ka- 

o'-yi. 

* 

much,  a  heap,  a-ku'-im,  a-kai'-im. 
mud,  miry,  pa-kse'-kali'-u-a. 
mule,  long  ears,  o-muk'-sto-ki. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


271 


N. 

name,  nin-ik-os';  his  name,  sin-ti-kos'. 
narrow,  e-ki'-o. 
navel,  o-to'-yis. 
near,  close,  o-tsust'. 

neck,  oh-o'-kin-i ;  back  part  of  the  neck,  oh-tun'-is. 
needle,  large  needles,  o-muk-o'-to-nau'-ksi-cis ;   small 

needles,  o-to-nau'-ksis. 
new,  ina'-ni ;  a  new  arrow,  ma-no'-psi. 
night,  ko-kiis' ;  the  same  night,  a-nu'.-ko-kus'. 
no,  sa;  also  a-ni'-yi. 

noon,  tut-si-kc'-a-kris'-te-ku' ;  (pi. -ku-is<5). 
nose,  oh-kris'-is;  my  nose,  noli-kris'-is. 
nostril,  o-pis'-ki-sa. 
nothing,  ma-tsi'-tse,  and  kris-ta'-pi. 

0. 
old,  na'-pe;  a  white  man,  na-pe'-ku-un,  literally  old 

people;   applied  to  a  female,  ki-pi'-ta;    an  old 

woman,  ki-pi'-ta-a-ki'-wa. 
open  (imp.),  kau-a-pi'-sta ;    open  the  door,  kit'-sim- 

kau-a-pi'-sta;  open  out,  spread  out,  o-po'-tos. 
opinion,  plan,  se-ni'-stan. 
outside,  sa-olis'. 
over,  i-sok'. 

P. 

paddle,  it-i-ali'-e-o-kso-pe ;  to  paddle,  as  a  boat,  mai- 

a'-ki-oks. 
pail,  su-yen'. 

parfleche,  ko-to-ki'-a-no-ko. 
pepper,  pi-stup'-o-ku. 
perhaps,  ali-si-kum';  seh'-ti;  perhaps  he  will  come, 

ali-si-kum'-a-sto. 
pins,  spin-o-to'-nauks. 
pine  tree,  pah'-tdk. 
pipe,  ali-o-i'-ni-man. 
plain,  prairie,  so-ka',  so-ki'. 
to  play,  e-ku'-c-ni. 

plenty,  a-kai-im';  a  plenty  of  people,  a-kai'-tup-i. 
pole,  i-ne'-stam  ;  a  long  pole,  i-nc'-ni-stam. 
pork,  ai'-ksin-i,  a  grunter,  hog. 
post,  a-kun'-iks. 
potatoes,  in-su'-mon. 
VOL.  xii. — 35 


powder,  sa-tso-pa'-ats. 
prairie,  so'-ki,  sometimes  so-ka'. 
puzzle,  oli'-pi-ska. 

pumpkin,  Gh'-to-ki-nut'-si,  so   called  when  cut   and 
dried. 


quickly,  ki-pun'-is-tsi. 
quill,  ma'-min. 


Q. 


R. 


rain,  i'-so-ta ;  rainy,  so'-tau ;  to  clear  away,  as  clouds 

after  a  rain,  ai'-c-pun'-i ;  the  rain  has  passed  away, 

so-te'-ai-pun'-i. 

rattles,  on  the  tail  of  a  rattlesnake,  se'-tsi-ko'-to. 
ravine,  ka-wali'-u-a. 
raw,  uncooked,  ko-te'-tsi. 
red,  moli'-si-nut'-si ;    a  red  blanket,  moli'-o-pe'-pist ; 

vermilion  red  paint,  moh-i'-san. 
relation,  kso'-qua. 
rest,  sik-si'-ste-ku.     . 
rib,  pi-kis'. 
river,  ni-i-tuli'-ta ;  a  stream  or  creek,  a-sc-tuli'-ta ;  a 

little  run,  wa-wa'-ku-a. 

road,  mo-ksa'-ku-yi ;  path  or  road,  pa-tot'-sku-yi. 
rock,  mis-tek';  rocky,  mis-tek'-sku. 
rosebuds,  ki-niks'. 
rope,  a'-pis,  a  lariat  for  a  horse, 
rough,  rugged,  pi'-wa;  bad  lands,  pi-wali'-o,  and  si- 

na-tali'-o. 

to  rub  off,  or  brush,  ta-sa'-tsi-ni-ok'-sto. 
to  run,  o-ma'-ka ;  aks'-kas ;  to  run  quickly,  ka-moks'- 

kas ;   run  (imp.),  aks-ka'-sit,  and,  niali-at';  run 

away,  mis-ta-pi'-mah'-at ;   ni-to-mali',  I  run  ;  ki- 

to-mah',  you  run. 
rusty,  a-psu'-yi. 

S. 

sacred,  holy,  kse'-maps. 
salt,  stik-sc-po'-ko. 
sandbar,  sput'-se-ko;  the  great  sand  pile  where  the 

dead  go,  o-muks'-sput'-se-ko. 
sash  or  belt,  ma'-pis. 
scabbard,  a-sto'-tu-wa. 


272 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


scabby,  a-pe'-kris ;  a  scabby  bull,  a-pe'-kris-stum'-ik. 

scalp,  sa-o-to'-mu-a. 

scattered,  ki-a'-pi. 

to  scratch,  ta-ksi-ki'-na-to'-Le. 

sea,  mo-toh'-i. 

seat,  nu'-o-sa. 

searching,  a-pa'-su-nii. 

to  see,  na-mu'-i-nu. 

seed,  e-ni-si'-man. 

selfish,  avaricious,  a-kum-i'-tup-i-o. 

sharp,  kris-e'-kim  ;  a  shafp  knife,  kris-e'-ki-sto'-a. 

to  shave  off  with  a  knife,  ksi-kit-si'-ni-aks. 

shears,  ste-si'-so-yop. 

shells  for  earrings,  po-kun-um' ;   to  the  fossil  shells, 

which   occur  in   that  country  very  abundantly, 

the  Indians  give  the  name  o-cis'-he. 
shirt,  stah-ti-so'-kaus. 
shooting,  sku-ni'-ke. 
shot,  kit-si-ko'-pun-i. 
shot-pouch,  su-i-a'-tsi-man. 
shoulder,  o-kut'-si-kiu. 
sick,  oh-to-ko'-ksi. 
sinew,  hai-si-pi'. 
to  sing,  e-ni-ki'-o;  I  sing,  ni-tai'-ni-ki;  you  sing,  ki- 

tai'-ni-ki. 
sister,  i-sa'-ki-mi. 
sit  down  (imp.),  pi'-it. 
skin  of  an  animal,  to'-kis,  and,  o-to'-kis;  a  cow-skin 

dressed,  pakh'-i;  undressed,  i-ni'-o-to'-kis. 
sky,  spohts. 
sleep,  wai-yo-ka'. 
slow,  e-tsc-tse'-kris-to. 
small,  6h-po'-ki-o,  and,  na-ko'-tsi-o. 
smart,  active,  ku-waps'. 
smell,  a-mas' ;  a  bad  smell,  mes-ka'-pa-mas. 
smoke,  sa-tsi'-wa;  smoky,  se-nu'-tsu. 
to  sneeze,  a-si'-i-si. 

snow,  kon  ;  kon'-sko ;  snowing,  6Ti'-po-ta-o. 
soap,  sis-ki-o-sa'-tsis. 
soft,  ki'-ni,  also,  ih-i-ni'-si. 
to  soil  or  dirty,  po-mis'. 
something,  ki-sta'-pi. 
sometimes,  ni-ta'-tum-i. 
son,  oh-u'-a. 


soon,  skun'-i ;  come  soon,  skun'-i-o-po-ksa-po'-at. 

soup,  o-ko'-pis ;  goose  soup,  ap-sin'-i-o-ko'-pis. 

sour,  eh-i-mu'-i. 

to  speak,  a-pu'-i. 

spear  or  lance,  sa-pa-pi'-sta-cis. 

spirit  or  ghost,  o-ni-stan' ;   Great  Spirit,  the  Great 

Medicine  Man  above,  na-to'-yi-tup-i'-spo-ma'-pi. 
spot,  e-na'-ki-o ;  a  yellow  spot,  o-toh'-u-i-na'-tsi-o. 
spoon,  i-noli'-si-o. 
spring,  mu-tu' ;  (pi.  -tu-ist.) 
spring  of  water,  ma-ki'-kum. 
spurs,  ta-wa'-wa-ka-piks. 
stand  up  (imp.),  ne-pu'-yi-pu-yit.. 
star,  ka-ka'-tos. 
to  steal,  ka-mos. 
stingy,  it-si'-ki-ma'-ats. 
stockings,  a-to-wa'-ksin. 
stomach,  no-kin',  o'-ku-un. 
stone,  Oli'-o-tok ;  stony,  oli'-o-tok'-sku. 
stop !  hi-ka'-o. 
straight,  kum-o'-e-sim. 
to  stretch,  or  yawn,  sc-pi'-is ;  I  stretch,  ni-tai-se'-pi-is; 

you,  &c.,  ki-tai-se'-pi-is ;  he,  &c.,  e-tai-se'-pi-is. 
to    strike,   a-wa'-a-ki ;    I   strike,    nit-a-wa'-a-ki ;    you 

strike,  kit-a-wa'-a-ki. 
strong,  mi-ska'-pi. 
to  suck,  sta. 

summer,  ni-pu',  (pi.  -pu-is6.) 
sun,  na-tos',  na-to'-se ;  sun's  rays,  sc-ki'-so-au. 
sweet,  me-ne-po'-ko;  sometimes,  ma-tse'-pu-ku. 
swelled,  kah'-pi. 
swift,  c-kum'-i-si;  a  swift  dog,  e-kum'-i-si-im-i-ta'-o. 

T. 

tail,  oh-su'-yis. 
take  it,  uiat'-sit. 
temples,  5t-skup-u'-na. 
tooth,  oli-pi'-a-kin. 

then,  i-tck'-si ;  then,  in  that  place,  un'-i-it-si'-o. 
thigh,  u-\va'-pi-sak. 

thin,  stoh'-i ;  a  thin  leaf,  stoli'-so-yo'-po-ki. 
to  think,  a-ah-ska'-to-ki. 

thread,  thread  made  of  sinew,  e-si'-pis;  cloth  thread, 
ne-pi-stai'-si-pis. 


INDIAN   TRIBES  OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY. 


273 


throat,  oli-kris'-tun-i. 

thunder,  kris-tc-kum'- 

to  tickle,  si-kus'-i-ta'-ki,  and  e-ko'-i-ni-sto'-to. 

to  tie,  isk'-si-ni-stuk'-sim  ;  tie  (imp.)  sksi'-nit. 

tobacco,  pis-ta'-kan ;  Indian  tobacco  of  the  best  qual 
ity,  Lobelia  inflata,  ne-cts'-ti-nis  ;  common  In 
dian  tobacco,  both  kinds  used  in  the  religious 
ceremonies  of  the  Indians,  e'-nis;  cutting-board 
for  tobacco,  su-pi'-ksis-tsi-ma'-cis ;  a  garnished  to 
bacco  sack,  a-su'-a-ci'-man. 

to-morrow,  a  pin'-o-kos;  I  will  go  to-morrow,  a-pi- 
nuk'-si-ta-ko'-ma-ta. 

to-night,  ko-kus'. 

tongue,  ma-tse'-nc. 

tooth,  6h-pi'-a-kin. 

top,  or  summit,  si-ko'-ki-tohs. 

to  touch,  ksi'-nit. 

towards,  pit-si-oh'-to. 

towel,  ste'-sis-ki-o. 

travail,  ma-nis'-ci. 

tripe,  o-ku'-un. 

true,  truth,  kit-si'-ma  ;  you  are  not  a  man  of  truth, 
ki-ma-to'-ma-nlh'-pa. 

trunk,  or  box,  a-so'-kai-is ;  a  wooden  trunk,  mis-6is'- 
o-kai'-is. 

to  twist,  a-niks'-ka-pi-kris'-ta-kis. 

U. 
Ugly,  rnul'i-si-num'. 

under,  stalls  ;  it  is  under  something,  stahs-mi-it-si'-o  ; 

there  is   something  under  the  stone,  6li -o'-to-ki- 

stahs-roi-it-sl'-o. 
up,  a-mi-toks'. 

V. 

valley,  pi-i-stah'-wal'i-u'-mi-ni-stah'-u-i. 
vein,  6s-ci'. 
verdigris,  oli-o-mo'-ni-nut-si ;  ko-na'-no  is  sometimes 

used. 
very,  e-a',  sku-nuts',  e-ku'-i;  this  very  night,  a-nu'- 

ke-a-ksa'-ko-kus-e-ku'-i ;  a  very  old  man,  e-ku'-i- 

na'-pi-o ;  very  cold,  sku-nuts'-tu-yi. 
village,  a-ki'-ta-pi-sko' ;    a  plenty  of  lodges,  o-ki'-o- 

kum-i. 

villain,  ma-kse-tup'-i. 
to  voiuit,  o-kit'-skuai. 


W. 

wagon,  or  cart,  a'-na-kaus. 
to  walk,  sik-so'-o  ;  I  will  walk,  nit-a'-ksi-ksi-ni ;  you 

will  walk,  kit-a'-ksi-ksi-ni ;  he  will  walk,  ta'-ksi- 

ksi-no. 

war,  kah'-to-ma  ;   a  war-club,  ko'-ksa-kin. 
warm,  kris-to'-yi.  warrior,  tsu'-a-pits. 

wasp,  na'-mo.  water,  oh'-i. 

weak,  ma-tse-kut'-saps. 

weeds,  ki-stu'-po-tu'-yis;  dried  grass,  ki-pi-ta'-tu-yis. 
well,  it'-ksu ;  he  got  well  again,  at'-ai-it'-tsu. 
wife  (my),  nit-o-ki'-man. 
wind,  i'-so-pu  ;  sometimes  pronounced,  su-po ;  a  strong 

wind,  a-muk'-sa-pu'-yi. 
windpipe,  o'-ku-stun. 
wing,  of  a  bird,  o-min'-stra-kin. 
winter,  stu'-yi ;  sto'-yi. 
within,  pi-sto'-tso;  without,  su-oh'-so. 
wise,  mo-ku'-ki-aps. 
to  wish,  te-tsih'-ta. 
what?  ah-sats';  what  more?  what  else?  akh-sas'-ci-ki ; 

what  do  you  say?  sa-wa'-ni;  when?  at  what  time? 

sta-nis'-6is  ;  where  ?  at  what  place  ?  6i'-ma. 
whip,  is-ci'-pi-si-ma'-tis ;  to  whip,  is-ci'-pi-sis'. 
whiskey,  na-pi'-6li-i,  white  water. 
white,  ci-ksi-num';  white  cloth,  ci-kai-pi'-6i.       • 
who?  ta-ka'. 

woman,  a-ki'-ma;  (pi.  a-klks'.) 
wood,  mis'-tis ;  stone  wood,  petrified  wood,  mis'-tis-oh'- 

o-tok;  all  kinds  of  hard  wood,  tsa-si'-ksa;  rotten 

wood,  bi'-a-kuk'-si-ksi ;  split  wood,  ni-sta'-to-ksaks ; 

a  pile  of  drift-wood  in  the  river,  ka-cis'-ko. 
word,  e-pu'-o-ksin. 
to  work,  a-po'-to-ki;  work  (imp.),  a-po'-to-kit ;  lam 

going  to  work,  nta-ka-po'-to-ki. 
to  wrap  up,  a-mo-pit'. 
wrist,  i-tah'-o-ki-wis-tsi'-pi. 
to  write,  a-sin'-a-ki ;  write  (imp.),  sin'-a-kit;  writing, 

sin'-a-ki ;  books,  a-sin'-aks. 

Y. 

yellow,  o-toli'-u-i.  yes,  a. 

yesterday,  ma-tun'-i-yc. 
yet,  sa'-ki;  he  is  living  yet,  sa'-ki-ai-to'-pi-wa. 
youder,  o'-mim. 


274  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 

CHAPTER     VI. 

III.  SHYENNES. 

ETHNOGRAPHICAL   HISTORY. 

COMPARATIVELY  little  has  been  published  in  regard  to  this  tribe  of  Indians,  and  their 
former  history  is  quite  obscure.  The  few  facts  already  recorded  seem  to  render  it  very 
probable  that  they  emigrated  from  the  north  and  northeast  to  their  present  location,  but  I 
can  find  no  reliable  account  of  their  movements  or  their  history,  in  any  works  within  my 
reach.  How  so  important  and  interesting  a  tribe  of  Indians  has  escaped  the  notice  of 
travellers,  is  a  matter  of  some  surprise.  Even  the  indefatigable  Schoolcraft  was  unable  to 
obtain  any  extended  account  of  them.  From  my  own  personal  observations,  and  from  all 
the  sources  within  my  reach,  I  have  constructed  the  following  brief  sketch  of  this  tribe. 

This  nation  has  received  a  variety  of  names  from  travellers  and  the  neighboring  tribes, 
as  Shycnnes,  Shiennes,  Cheyennes,  Chayennes,  Sharas,  Shawhays,  Sharshas,  and  by  the 
different  bands  of  the  Dakotas,  Shai-en-a,  or  Shai-e-la,  the  meaning  of  which  is  not  known. 
On  the  Missouri  Iliver,  near  latitude  45°  and  longitude  101°,  is  the  entrance  of  the  Great 
Shyenne  Iliver,  one  of  the  most  important  branches  of  the  Missoiiri.  It  takes  its  rise  in 
the  divide  between  the  valley  of  the  Yellowstone,  and  that  of  the  Missouri,  and  is  called 
by  the  Dakota  Indians,  Wash-te'-wali-pa,  or  Good  Iliver.  About  thirty  miles  below  the 
eastern  base  of  the  Black  Hills,  is  the  junction  of  two  important  branches,  called  the 
North  and  South  Forks  of  the  Shyenne.  The  South  Fork  rises  far  to  the  northward  of 
the  Black  Hills,  in  the  arid,  tertiary  hills  which  form  the  dividing  ridge  between  the  waters 
of  the  Yellowstone  and  those  of  the  Missouri,  and  flows  around  the  southern  base  of  the 
Black  Hills,  receiving  numerous  tributaries  from  the  mountains.  The  North  Fork  rises 
in  the  same  dividing  ridge,  making  a  flexure  around  the  northern  base  of  the  Black  Hills, 
likewise  receiving  numerous  branches,  fed  by  springs  in  these  hills.  Uniting,  they  form 
the  Great  Shyenne,  as  before  mentioned.  The  country  bordering  this  river,  from  its 
mouth  to  the  junction  of  the  two  forks,  is  underlaid  by  the  black,  plastic,  saline  clays  of 
the  cretaceous  system,  and  is,  consequently,  for  the  most  part,  quite  arid  and  barren. 
The  bottoms,  however,  forming  the  immediate  valley,  are  clothed  with  grass,  and  furnish 
a  supply  of  fuel  sufficient  for  all  the  wants  of  the  Indian.  Game  is  also  quite  abundant, 
as  elk,  deer,  and  antelope,  and  in  former  years,  vast  herds  of  buffalo  roamed  over  this 
region,  though  at  the  present  time,  only  now  and  then  a  stray  bull  is  seen  along  this  river 
from  mouth  to  source.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  Black  Hills,  the  clear,  beautiful  streams 
that  flow  from  the  mountains,  swarm  with  beaver,  the  prairies  are  covered  with  antelope, 
and  the  wooded  valleys  and  hills  are  favorite  resorts  for  elk  and  deer,  the  whole  rendering 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  275 

this  country  one  of  the  most  delightful  spots  to  the  Indian.  We  will  not  at  this  time 
describe  the  country  in  detail,  inasmuch  as  we  shall  dwell  more  at  length  upon  it  in  our 
history  of  the  Dakota  bands  which  now  roam  over  it.  We  now  allude  to  it,  from  the  fact 
that  it  seems  to  be  the  starting-point  in  our  knowledge  of  the  Shyennes.  A  little  farther 
up  the  river,  a  small  stream  flows  into  the  Missouri  from  the  north,  which  is  called  the 
Little  Shycnne.  These  streams  evidently  derived  their  names,  from  the  fact  that  they 
drain  the  country  once  occupied  by  this  tribe  of  Indians. 

Those  enterprising  travellers,  Lewis  and  Clarke,  give  us  no  extended  account  of  the 
Shyennes,  and  simply  allude  to  them  in  their  Journal.*  On  their  map  attached  to  their 
report,  they  locate  them  near  the  eastern  base  of  the  Black  Hills,  in  the  valley  of  the 
Great  Shyenne  River,  and  state  the  number  at  fifteen  hundred  souls.  They  also  speak  of 
the  remains  of  their  old  villages  along  the  Missouri  (vol.  i,  p.  149),  which  seem  to  show 
the  course  of  their  migrations.  Near  the  mouth  of  a  little  stream,  named  by  them  "  Cha- 
yenne"  Creek,  they  observed  "  a  circular  work  or  fort,  where  the  Sharsha  or  Chayennes 
formerly  lived."  There  are,  "also,  on  one  of  the  banks  of  the  Red  River  of  the  North,  the 
remains  of  an  old  village  of  the  Shyennes,  with  an  important  stream  bearing  their  name. 
All  these  forts  show  quite  clearly  that  the  Shyennes  either  gradually  and  slowly  migrated 
from  the  far  north  to  their  present  location,  in  search  of  better  hunting  grounds,  or  were 
driven  by  the  superior  strength  of  their  more  numerous  neighbors.  We  have  the  state 
ments  of  persons  now  living  in  that  country,  that  the  Dakotas  drove  them  from  the  Mis 
souri  to  their  present  position. 

Brackenridge  in  his  Journal  of  a  tour  up  the  Missouri  River,  in  1811,f  says  of  these 
Indians  that  they  are  a  "  wandering  nation  on  the  heads  of  the  Shyenne  River ;  trade  with 
the  Arikaras ;  speak  a  different  language  from  any  nation  I  know ;  their  complexion  very 
fair.  They  trade  also  with  the  Spaniards,  and  have  a  great  number  of  horses,  &c." 

During  the  time  of  Long's  expedition  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  in  1819  and  1820,  a 
small  portion  of  the  Shyennes  seem  to  have  separated  themselves  from  their  nation  on  the 
Missouri,  and  associated  themselves  with  the  Arapohos,  who  wandered  about  the  tributa 
ries  of  the  Platte.  On  page  367,  vol.  ii:  "The  Shyennes  associated  with  those  wander 
ing  tribes  (Arapohos,  &c.),  are  a  small  band  of  seceders  from  the  nation  of  the  same  name, 
residing  upon  the  Shyenne  River.  They  are  said  to  be  daring  and  ferocious.''^ 

*  Travels  up  the  Missouri,  during  the  Years  1804,  '5,  and  '6,  by  Captains  Lewis  and  Clarke.  London  edition, 
in  three  volumes. 

f  Views  of  Louisiana,  together  with  a  Journal  of  a  Voyage  up  the  Missouri  lliver,  in  1811.  By  II.  M. 
Brackenridge,  Esq.  Pittsburg,  1814. 

|  Account  of  an  Expedition  from  Pittsburg  to  the  llocky  Mountains,  performed  in  the  Years  1819  and  1S20, 
by  order  of  the  lion.  J.  C.  Calhoun,  Secretary  of  War,  under  the  command  of  Major  Stephen  II.  Long,  com 
piled  by  Edwin  James,  Botanist  and  Geologist  to  the  Expedition.  2  vols.,  with  an  Atlas.  Philadelphia,  182.'!. 


276  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 

According  to  Mr.  Morse,  in  1822,  "  this  tribe,  of  3250  souls,  dwell  and  hunt  on  the  river 
of  this  name,  a  western  tributary  of  the  Missouri,  a  little  above  the  Great  Bend."* 

We  have  no  means  at  hand  for  determining  the  exact  time  when  these  Indians  took  up 
their  abode  in  the  Platte  country.  We  only  know  that  at  the  present  time  they  claim,  in 
connection  with  the  Arapohos,  the  country  bordering  upon  the  North  and  South  Platte 
Bivers.  They  range,  however,  in  their  war  excursions  and  in  their  search  for  buffalo,  far 
into  the  Crow  country,  along  the  various  branches  of  Powder  River,  along  the  Sweet  water, 
and  even  as  far  to  the  west  and  north  as  the  Black  Hills,  south  to  the  Arkansas,  and  west 
to  the  valley  of  Green  River.  Owing  to  the  rapid  immigration  of  white  settlers  into  that 
region  for  a  few  years  past,  the  Indian  Bureau  has  attempted  to  place  these  Indians  upon 
a  reservation ;  but  they  must  be  taught  to  cultivate  the  soil  before  they  will  become  a  con 
tented  or  a  prosperous  people. 

The  writer,  attached  to  a  United  States  Exploring  party,  under  the  command  of  Capt. 
William  F.  Raynolds,  spent  the  winter  of  1859  and  1860  at  the  base  of  the  mountains, 
about  a  hundred  miles  above  Fort  Laramie,  on  the  North  Platte.  The  Indian  Agent, 
who  resided  at  the  same  place,  had  several  very  intelligent  Shyenne  hunters,  from  whom 
much  information  was  obtained.  The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  the  writer's  jour 
nal  kept  at  that  time. 

"  There  are  many  instances  of  Indians  possessing  several  wives,  from  two  to  fifteen,  but 
jealousies  are  constantly  arising,  and  are  kept  in  check  only  by  force  on  the  part  of  the 
husband.  Every  woman  rejoices  when  she  finds  she  is  the  only  lawful  wife;  and  when 
she  suspects  that  her  husband  meditates  the  taking  of  a  second,  she  throws  every  obstacle 
in  the  way,  first  by  renewed  attentions  and  kindness  to  her  husband,  and  then  by  creating 
difficulties  with  the  intended  wife.  When  an  Indian  takes  several  wives,  he  usually  se 
lects  one  as  his  favorite.  She  may  be  a  young  woman,  or  the  first  wife  and  the  mother  of 
his  children.  The  remainder  are  intended  more  as  slaves,  to  dress  robes  and  to  perform 
the  drudgery  of  the  lodge. 

"  Rib,  our  excellent  Shyenne  hunter,  has  been  out  in  pursuit  of  game  for  several  days, 
and  although  one  of  the  best  Indian  hunters  in  the  country,  he  has  had  very  poor  success. 
He  is  very  superstitious,  like  all  his  tribe,  and  says  it  is  the  moon  that  is  in  fault.  It  is 
now  full  moon,  and  he  says  that  when  the  moon  dies  his  luck  will  return  again.  Thus 
these  people  are  continually  impeded  in  their  efforts  by  their  superstitious  notions.  The 
first  time  he  went  out  hunting  during  this  moon  he  wounded  an  antelope ;  it  escaped,  and 
many  other  chances  occurred,  yet  he  returned  without  meat,  to  receive  the  angry  looks  of 
the  wife,  who  would  give  him  no  supper.  Having  rested  himself  he  started  out  again, 

*  A  lleport  to  the  Secretary  of  War  of  the  United  States  on  Indian  Affairs.  By  llev.  Jedediah  Morse,  D.D. 
New  Haven,  1S±2. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY.  277 

wounded  an  elk,  and  pursued  it  into  the  mountains,  until  it  became  buried  in  a  snowdrift, 
from  which  place  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  carry  away  the  meat.  The  next  day  he 
started  out  again,  and  found  a  deer  asleep  near  a  little  creek :  then,  too,  his  gun  missed 
fire.  Again  he  took  deadly  aim  at  a  deer,  and  the  ball  stopped  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
muzzle  of  the  gun.  He  now  waits  patiently  for  the  next  moon,  when,  he  says,  he  will  kill 
an  abundance  of  game. 

"  Rib  has  a  Dakota  wife,  one  quarter  white.  She  presents  the  only  instance  that  I  have 
met  with  among  the  Indians,  in  which  the  woman  ruled  the  man  directly.  It  is  very 
seldom  that  an  Indian  allows  his  wife  to  gain  any  power  over  him,  though  she  may  quietly 
influence  him ;  yet  any  disobedience  of  his  orders  is  punished,  oftentimes  with  great  seve 
rity.  In  their  domestic  affairs  each  one  has  his  or  her  duty  to  perform,  and  there  is  no  in 
terference  the  one  with  the  other,  though  the  tastes  and  wishes  of  the  man  are  consulted, 
and  have  the  preference.  His  is  the  first  or  principal  place  in  the  lodge,  usually  the  far 
thest  from  the  door.  On  one  occasion  Ilib  ventured  to  punish  his  children  for  some  act  of 
disobedience.  His  wife  turned  him  out  of  the  lodge,  and  threw  all  his  things  out  after  him. 
He  went  away  alone  quite  crestfallen.  When  rallied  for  his  want  of  heart,  and  asked  why 
he  did  not  whip  her,  he  replied  that  he  loved  his  wife,  and  did  not  wish  to  strike  her.  So  he 
waited  patiently  until  her  wrath  cooled,  and  all  was  made  right  again.  He  says  that  if 
he  were  to  punish  his  wife  every  time  she  conducted  herself  badly,  he  would  be  com 
pelled  to  stand  with  his  whip  in  his  hand  all  the  time,  and  could  not  use  his  gun. 

"  The  Shyennes  are  a  proud  race,  large  and  well  formed,  more  like  the  Dakotas  than 
any  tribe  I  am  acquainted  with  on  the  Missouri.  They  are  at  peace  with  the  Dakotas, 
and  have  become  so  intermarried  now,  that  it  is  hardly  probable  that  they  will  ever  break 
their  friendly  relations.  So  many  of  them  speak  the  Dakota  language,  that  their  own  lan 
guage  is  not  used  at  the  present  time  in  diplomatic  affairs.  I  have  never  heard  of  but  one 
white  interpreter  for  these  Indians,  and  he  has  long  since  left  them,  his  knowledge  of  their 
language  being  of  no  pecuniary  benefit  to  him. 

"  The  Shyennes,  like  the  Dakotas,  are  quite  rigid  in  regard  to  the  fidelity  of  their  women. 
When  a  woman  proves  false  to  her  husband,  which  is  not  common,  she  is  punished  with 
great  severity,  and  not  uncommonly  with  death.  When  a  young  man  sees  a  woman  fail- 
to  look  upon,  and  one  which  his  heart  desires,  he  at  once  commences  to  apply  his  arts. 
If  he  succeeds  in  seducing  the  woman  to  elope  with  him,  he  immediately  escapes  to 
another  tribe  or  band,  and  if  he  remains  away,  nothing  is  said  or  done  about  the  matter ; 
but  if  he  returns,  in  some  instances  the  injured  husband  kills  him,  though  usually  the 
man  who  decoyed  away  the  wife  gives  to  the  former  husband  a  horse  and  other  presents, 
and  he  and  a  number  of  their  mutual  friends  gather  together  at  the  lodge  of  the  first  hus 
band,  who  hands  the  latter  a  pipe,  and  they  all  smoke  together.  The  injured  husband  then 


278  ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND    PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

says  that  his  heart  was  bad,  but  has  now  become  good,  and  the  past  is  forgotten.  Among 
the  Blackfect  it  is  not  uncommon  for  a  lapse  from  virtue  on  the  part  of  the  woman  to  be 
visited  with  the  worst  form  of  punishment,  the  cutting  off  of  the  nose.  A  few  rare  cases 
have  occurred  among  the  Shyennes,  but,  as  Rib  says,  only  bad  men  do  so.  In  a  few 
cases  the  women  have  been  killed. 

"There  is  at  this  time  (January,  1860),  a  serious  warlike  feeling  existing  between  the 
Shyennes  and  the  Crows.  Each  tribe  accuses  the  other  of  having  broken  the  peace,  but, 
as  near  as  I  can  ascertain,  the  Crows  are  in  the  wrong.  About  one  year  ago,  one  of  the 
head  chiefs  of  the  Crows  came  to  the  Platte  and  stole  from  the  Shyennes  about  thirty 
horses.  In  endeavoring  to  get  them  back  the  latter  lost  some  men  and  the  former  some. 
About  a  month  ago,  the  Shyennes,  in  considerable  numbers,  were  encamped  on  Powder 
River.  The  Crows  surprised  the  camp  one  morning,  killed  five  persons  and  wounded 
several  others,  taking  five  children  prisoners.  The  Crows  being  mounted,  took  the 
children  in  front  of  them  on  their  horses.  Being  hard  pressed  by  the  Shyennes,  who  were 
in  pursuit,  the  Crows  drew  their  knives  and  stabbed  the  children,  and  threw  them  from 
their  horses.  The  Indians  at  once  removed  from  the  interior  to  the  Platte,  near  our 
winter  quarters,  bringing  their  wounded  with  them,  most  of  whom  died.  One  old  woman 
was  scalped  alive,  and  though  she  was  not  otherwise  injured,  soon  after  died.  It  is  con 
sidered  the  greatest  insult  to  a  tribe  to  scalp  one  of  its  members  in  that  way.  A  lad  about 
sixteen  years  of  age,  is  now  with  his  parents  near  our  camp,  with  a  bullet  lodged  in  his 
thigh.  It  is  quite  uncertain  what  the  result  will  be.  The  Dakotas  and  Shyennes  have 
united  against  the  Crows  in  a  war  of  extermination.  It  would  seem  as  though  the  country 
which  the  Crows  have  so  long  possessed,  and  regarded  as  the  finest  region  in  the  world, 
would  soon  be  taken  from  them.  They  are  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  enemies. 

"  At  this  time  (January  25th,  1860),  there  are  several  lodges  near  the  Agency.  One  of 
the  old  men  has  a  daughter  about  sixteen  years  of  age.  Near  his  tent  there  is  a  small 
temporary  hut,  which  is  occupied  by  the  girl  during  her  menstrual  period.  During  this 
time  she  is  not  permitted  to  touch  anything,  not  even  a  horse,  if  so,  it  is  considered  bad 
'  medicine,'  and  unclean.  This  is  a  universal  custom  among  all  Indians  with  whom  I  am 
acquainted. 

"  Rib  gives  me  the  following  information  in  regard  to  the  religious  belief  of  the  Shy 
ennes.  He  says  that  they  all  believe  that  when  a  person  dies  a  portion  returns  to  the 
earth,  and  another  part,  the  spirit,  goes  to  the  Great  Spirit,  from  which  it  had  its  origin. 
It  then  enters  a  child  again  and  returns  to  this  world ;  and  should  that  being  at  any 
period  during  its  lifetime  walk  over  the  dust  of  the  former  body,  it  also  dies.  '  Grass, 
an  unusually  intelligent  Indian,  a  hunter  for  the  Agent,  says,  that  the  Indians  are  aware 
that  there  is  a  .Great  Spirit  who  made  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  but  farther  than  that 
they  know  nothing.  They  mourn  for  the  dead  because  they  are  lost  to  them,  and  they 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  279 

know  they  cannot  return.  They  place  food  and  articles  of  clothing  on  the  grave,  because 
they  think  that  the  spirit  continues  with  the  body  after  death  a  short  period,  and  then 
departs  for  the  place  where  all  spirits  are  gathered  together.  Grass  says  that  the  Indians 
often  hear  the  spirits  of  the  dead,  and  know  their  presence  by  various  noises,  but  that  he 
himself  never  saw  them,  though  he  has  looked  for  them  many  times.  His  own  belief  is, 
that  when  an  Indian  dies  that  is  the  last  of  him :  his  body  goes  to  the  ground,  his  flesh  to 
feed  the  worms,  and  his  bones  to  form  earth.  He  says  also  that  the  other  Indians  are 
fools  for  having  any  different  belief.  Is  he  not  an  infidel "?  None  of  the  prairie  Indians 
originally  believed  in  a  bad  spirit,  but  have  derived  that  idea  from  the  whites.  To  sum 
up  the  religious  belief  of  the  Indians,  it  is  simply  an  indefinite  idea  of  a  great  Creator  of 
all  things ;  and  farther  than  that  they  know  nothing. 

"  The  Great  Spirit  made  half  of  the  country  for  the  whites,  suitable  for  raising  all  kinds 
of  grain,  &c.  He  made  the  other  half  for  the  Indians,  mostly  prairie,  and  placed  upon  it 
an  abundance  of  game ;  but  that  the  white  men  were  continually  intruding  upon  them, 
and  would  soon  drive  them  into  the  sea.  He  illustrates  his  remark  in  this  way, — that  the 
whites  are  like  ants,  and  desire  to  have  the  whole  world  for  an  ants'  nest. 

"  There  are  no  special  ceremonies  connected  with  the  birth  of  a  child.  As  soon  as  a  child 
is  born,  it  is  dipped  in  cold  water  and  wrapped  in  a  blanket.  Presents  are  made  to  the 
old  woman  who  acts  as  midwife.  The  father  desires  that  the  child  shall  be  a  boy,  to  aid 
him  in  herding  the  horses  and  in  the  hunt,  while  the  mother  prefers  it  to  be  a  girl,  to 
assist  her-  in  carrying  wood  and  in  making  moccasins.  There  is  considerable  ceremony  in 
piercing  the  ears  of  the  child  when  it  has  attained  a  certain  age,  say  four  years.  Liberal 
presents  are  given  to  the  person  who  performs  the  act. 

"  There  is  great  regularity  in  the  operation  of  smoking  the  pipe.  The  Indians  always 
pass  around  the  pipe,  the  first  man  puffing  a  few  whiffs,  and  then  handing  it  to  the  one 
next  to  him.  One  person  takes  hold  of  the  pipe-stem  at  a  certain  place,  the  next  one' 
above,  and  the  next  below  alternately.  Should  any  one  fail  to  observe  this  order,  whether 
white  man  or  Indian,  he  cannot  get  the  pipe  until  he  takes  hold  of  it  in  the  proper  way. 
The  reason  given  is,  that  it  is  their  '  medicine ;'  that  no  two  men,  sitting  side  by  side, 
shall  handle  the  pipe  in  the  same  way.  It  is  also  very  common  for  a  man,  on  receiving 
the  pipe,  to  point  the  bowl  toward  the  ground,  and  the  stem  toward  the  heavens.  There 
is,  perhaps,  no  more  interesting  ceremony  than  that  of  smoking.  It  is  to  them  a  great 
luxury,  and  as  they  sit  in  groups  around,  puffing  out  large  volumes  of  smoke,  and  con 
versing  in  a  low,  quiet  tone  of  voice,  they  present  the  most  perfect  picture  of  happiness 
and  contentment. 

"  The  Indians,  both  male  and  female,  arrive  at  the  age  of  puberty  at  from  fifteen  to  seven 
teen  years,  occasionally,  though  rarely,  at  thirteen  or  fourteen.    Rare  instances  are  known 
of  females  being  married  at  thirteen  years  of  age." 
VOL.  xii. — 36 


280  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

Abortion  is  produced,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  among  all  the  Indians.  When  a 
woman  does  not  wish  to  give  birth  to  a  live  child,  she  takes  a  stick  which  is  used  for  dig 
ging  the  pomme  llanche,  or  prairie  turnip,  and  presses  the  end  of  it  against  the  abdomen, 
causing  the  death  of  the  child  in  utero.  It  is  very  seldom  that  there  is  any  fatal  result  to 
the  mother  from  this  operation. 

I  can  find  no  reliable  evidence  that  any  of  the  prairie  Indians  are  especially  neglectful 
of  their  aged  people.  When  they  become  so  old  that  they  cannot  walk,  they  are  not  left 
to  perish,  but  are  provided  with  horses  or  a  travais,  and  cared  for  until  they  die.  There 
may  be  cases  in  which  there  is  a  want  of  filial  affection,  but  the  contrary  is  the  general 
rule.  So  long  as  a  chief  can  hunt  and  go  to  war,  he  can  maintain  his  influence  in  his 
tribe,  but  as  soon  as  he  fails  through  age  to  lead  his  people  to  battle,  his  son  takes  his 
place,  or  some  other  man  who,  by  acts  of  bravery,  may  have  elevated  himself  to  the  posi 
tion  of  chief. 

It  is  not  so  uncommon  for  the  Indians  to  have  deformed  children  as  one  would  suppose 
at  first  glance.  The  vicissitudes  of  a  nomadic  life  usually  destroy  such  children  very  soon 
after  birth.  They  are  usually  cared  for  in  time  of  plenty,  but  when  food  is  scarce  they 
are  allowed  to  starve.  I  was  told  by  the  Indians  themselves,  that  many  are  born  deaf  and 
dumb,  and  blind.  An  instance  occurred  of  a  woman  giving  birth  to  four  children  at  a 
time,  two  of  which  were  blind.  I  saw  a  very  pretty  half-breed  girl  among  the  Crows, 
who  had  been  deaf  and  dumb  from  her  birth,  otherwise  she  apppeared  bright  and  intelli 
gent. 

There  are  a  great  number  of  dances  among  the  Indians,  the  most  important  of  which 
is  the  sun  dance.  The  names  of  a  portion  are  given  below.  Oli-i'-om,  the  Sun  Dance, 
"  to  dance  and  look  at  the  sun."  The  principal  medicine-man  gathers  all  the  warriors  in 
the  village  together  at  a  certain  place,  and  each  one  makes  an  offering  to  the  sun,  and 
then  they  all  dance  and  beat  the  drum  from  two  to  four  days,  or  as  long  as  they  can  en 
dure  without  eating  or  drinking.  They  do  not  sing,  but  whistle  a  continuous  note  on  a 
bone  instrument,  tap  the  drum,  and  dance.  They  also  fold  the  skin  in  different  parts  of 
the  body,  piercing  a  hole  through  it  with  a  sharp  knife,  insert  a  stick,  and  fasten  the  stick 
with  a  cord  to  a  pole  above  their  heads,  or  the  limb  of  a  tree.  They  then  endeavor  to 
break  the  stick  or  cord  by  the  pressure  of  their  weight,  at  the  same  time  giving  away  a 
horse,  or  some  other  equally  valuable  present.  The  fold  of  skin  sometimes  tears  away, 
producing  a  most  painful  wound.  They  do  this  that  they  may  be  successful  in  all  their 
undertakings,  have  plenty  of  buffalo,  kill  numbers  of  their  enemies,  have  no  sickness,  &c. 

The  commencement  of  this  ceremony  is  brought  about  by  some  one  in  the  village  having 
a  dream,  which  informs  him  that  the  sun  controls  all  the  affairs  of  life.  He  then  bids  all 
the  people  to  prepare  for  its  performance.  The  same  dance  occurs  among  the  Dakotas. 
and  is  called  by  them  Wi-wai'-a5-i-vra'-ci. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY.  281 

E-a-cis-to,  Scalp  Dance.  When  a  war  party  goes  out  against  the  enemy,  and  returns  with 
plenty  of  scalps,  all  the  village,  men,  women,  and  children,  join  in  dancing  and  singing, 
sometimes  for  half  a  day  or  all  night.  They  also  build  large  fires.  The  same  dance  occurs 
among  the  Dakotas,  and  is  called  by  them  I-wa'-ki-6i-pi.  As  the  description  will  apply 
to  the  ceremony  among  both  tribes,  I  quote  from  the  Dakota  Dictionary.  "  This  dance 
follows  the  bringing  home  of  the  scalps  of  their  enemies.  A  circle  is  formed,  on  one  side 
of  which  stand  the  young  men,  with  their  bodies  painted,  with  their  feathers  in  their  heads, 
and  their  drums,  rattles,  and  other  instruments  of  music  in  their  hands,  while  on  the 
other  side  stand  the  young  women,  in  their  best  attire,  carrying  the  scalp  or  scalps  stretched 
on  a  hoop.  The  war  song  commences,  and  the  women  dance  around,  sometimes  ad 
vancing  towards  the  men,  who  are  stationary,  and  then  again  retreating,  and  responding 
at  intervals  to  the  music  in  a  kind  of  chorus.  If  the  scalp  is  taken  in  the  winter,  the 
dance  is  kept  up,  frequently  by  day  and  night,  until  the  leaves  grow  in  the  spring.  If  it 
is  taken  in  the  summer,  they  dance  and  rejoice  over  it  until  the  leaves  fall  off,  when  it  is 
buried." 

O-ta'-mi-mi-sa'-o,  Strong  Heart  Dance.  The  young  men  only  join  in  this  dance.  The  Da 
kotas  call  it  cai)'-te-su-tai'-wa-<$i. 

E-wok-si'-hi-wa-to :  Dakota,  To-ka'-la-wa-ci'-pi,  the  Fox  Dance.  The  Indians  make  a  large 
kettle  of  soup,  and  dance  for  good  luck.  Only  the  young,  unmarried  women,  that  is, 
virgins,  join  in  this  dance. 

Ho-tum'-i-ta'-ni-o,  Dog  Dance ;  Dakota,  I-han'-shi-wa-pa'-wa-&,  the  Big  Owl  Dance.  The  manner 
of  performance  is  the  same  in  both  tribes.  In  this  dance,  all  the  male  sex,  and  all  the 
virtuous  wives  join.  It  is  said  that  not  more  than  four  or  five  women  dance. 

O-ho-mi-no'-toh-i-o,  Soldier  Dance ;  Dakota,  Wi'-cis-ka,  the  White  Belt  Dance.  Among 
the  Dakotas,  the  belt  that  holds  all  their  hunting  apparatus  is  white.  Only  the  young 
men  join  in  this  dance. 

O-tu'-a-ta'-ni-o,  Bull  Head  Dance ;  the  same  meaning  in  Dakota,  Ta-taij'-ka-pa-wa-ei.  They 
perform  the  most  violent  gesticulations  in  this  dance.  The  men  form  a  ring,  wearing  a 
bull's  head  in  the  shape  of  a  mask,  imitating  the  grunt  of  a  bull.  Two  women  stand 
inside  the  ring.  It  is  the  most  picturesque  and  exciting  of  all  their  dances. 

Mo'-he-ta'-ni-o,  the  Elk  Dance  ;  Dakota,  He-l'ia'-ka-wa-c-i.  This  is  a  sort  of  Medicine  dance. 
All  join,  men,  women,  and  children. 

Na-ko-yo-su'-is-to,  Bear  Dance  ;  Dakota,  Ma-t»'-wa-6i-pi.  A  man  dreams  of  having  a  fight 
with  a  bear;  he  awakes  in  the  morning,  and  if  he  overcame  the  bear  in  his  dream,  he 
tells  his  friends,  and  they  all  have  a  dance.  Only  the  males  join.  The  motions  and 
grunt  of  the  bear  are  imitated. 

As  we  have  before  remarked,  our  previous  knowledge  of  the  Shyenncs  and  their  language 


282  ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY    AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

is  very  limited.  A  brief  list  of  the  "  Words  and  Vocabularies"  of  the  Shyenne  language  is 
given  in  Ludwig's  "  Literature  of  American  Aboriginal  Languages,"  to  which  nothing  has 
been  added  up  to  this  date.  In  the  Archseologia  Americana,  vol.  ii,  p.  379,  is  a  list  of  the 
names  of  the  Shyenne  chiefs  Avho  signed  the  treaty  of  July,  1825.  It  so  happens,  that  all 
the  names  were  given  in  the  Dakota,  and  are,  therefore,  no  contribution  to  the  Shyenne. 

Reise  des  Prinzen  Maximilian  zu  Wied,  Coblenz.  1839-1841,  ii  vols.,  4to.  On  pp. 
487-489,  about  sixty-seven  words  of  the  Shyenne  are  given,  apparently  very  correctly  taken. 

The  vocabulary  secured  by  Lieut.  Abert,  U.  S.  A.,  is,  perhaps,  the  most  valuable  one 
ever  taken,  though  quite  brief.  Great  use  was  made  of  this  by  Mr.  Albert  Gallatin,  in 
his  Comparison  of  the  Indian  Languages.  See  Transactions  of  the  American  Ethnological 
Society,  vol.  ii,  pp.  cxvi-cxviii.  It  was  first  published  in  Abert's  lleport  of  his  Examina 
tion  of  New  Mexico,  in  the  years  1846  and  1847,  pp.  467-518,  forming  a  part  of  Emory's 
Notes  of  a  Military  Reconnoissance,  &c.,  Washington,  1848,  8vo.  It  seems  that  it  was 
from  Lieut.  Abert's  vocabulary,  that  Gallatin  first  detected  the  affinity  of  the  Shyenne  to 
languages  of  the  Algonkin  stock.  "  Out  of  forty-seven  Shyenne  words  for  which  we  have 
equivalents  in  other  languages,  there  are  thirteen  which  arc  indubitably  Algonkin,  and 
twenty-five  which  have  affinities  more  or  less  remote  with  some  of  the  languages  of  that 
family."* 

A  vocabulary  of  nearly  three  hundred  words  is  published  in  Schoolcraft's  "  History  and 
Prospects  of  the  Indian  Tribes  of  the  United  States,"  Part  III,  pp.  346-459.  John  S. 
Smith,  to  whom  the  credit  is  given  for  this  vocabulary,  is  the  only  white  man  who  ever 
claimed  to  have  anything  like  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  Shyenne  tongue.  He 
was  interpreter  and  trader  for  that  tribe  for  many  years.  He  at  this  time  (1860)  keeps 
a  trading-house  near  the  mouth  of  Cache  la  Poudre  creek,  on  the  South  Platte. 

So  far  as  we  can  ascertain,  the  above  list  comprises  everything  of  an  original  character, 
published  in  regard  to  the  Shyenne  language,  up  to  this  date. 

The  following  grammatical  notes  and  vocabulary,  were  obtained  during  the  winter  of 
1859  and  '60,  at  the  Indian  Agency  on  the  South  Platte,  about  one  hundred  miles  west  of 
Fort  Laramic'.  I  was  fortunate  in  securing  the  services  of  a  very  intelligent  Shyenne  In 
dian,  who  spoke,  in  addition  to  his  own  tongue,  the  Dakota  with  almost  equal  fluency. 
His  wife  was  a  very  intelligent  Dakota  woman,  who  understood  the  English  language 
quite  well.  With  the  aid  of  a  Dakota  interpreter,  I  would  pronounce  the  words  from  the 
Dakota  Dictionary,  published  by  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  and  the  Indian  would  then 
give  the  corresponding  words  in  the  Shyenne  language.  I,  therefore,  feel  much  confidence 
in  the  accuracy  of  the  materials  thus  obtained. 

*  Gallatin,  Transactions  American  Ethnological  Society,  vol.  ii,  p.  cxi.  Langue  des  Indiens  Cheycnnes  (nu 
merals),  Bulletin  dc  la  Sociote  dc  Geographic,  1'aris,  18 16,  Svo.  Third  scries,  tome  vi,  pp.  381-386. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY".  283 

CHAPTER    VII. 

REMARKS   ON    THE   GRAMMATICAL   STRUCTURE   OF   THE    SI1YENNE   LANGUAGE. 

I.    NOUNS. 

1.  IN  the  Shyenne  language  no  change  is  made  in  the  terminations  of  nouns  to  indicate 
their  case.    The  nominative  arid  objective  cases  are  inferred  from  the  position  of  the  nouns 
in  a  sentence,  and  the  idea  of  possession  is  denoted  by  fragment-pronouns,  which  are 
usually  prefixed,  and  sometimes,  though  rarely,  inserted  into  the  nouns. 

2.  Nouns  have  two  numbers,  singular  and  plural ;  and  these  are  usually  distinguished 
by  difference  of  termination,  as :  (sing.)  o'-he,  a  river ;  (pi.)  o-he'-ist;  (sing.)  wih'-pots,  a  leaf ; 
(pi.)  wili'-po-tots ;    (sing.)  mu'-i-no,  a  horse;    (pi.)  inu'-i-no-ham ;   (sing.)  na'-e,  otter;    (pi.)  na'-in. 

a.  There  seem  to  be  two  forms  of  the  plural  number,  one  of  which  denotes  a  moderate 
number  of  individuals,  and  the  other  a  great  many;  as,  (sing.)  ho'-ma,  a  beaver;  (1st  pi.) 
ho-ma',  several  beavers ;  (2d  pi.)  ho-ma-e'-yo,  a  great  many  beavers. 

b.  The  plural  of  some  nouns  is  formed  by  simple  change  of  accent  from  one  syllable  to 
another;  as  (sing.)  ho'-tum,  a  dog;  (pi.)  ho-tum';  (sing.)  ho'-ma,  a  beaver;   (pi.)  ho-ma';  (sing.) 

nu'-man,  a  fish  ;    (pi.)   no-man'. 

3.  The  gender  of  nouns  is  denoted  by  the  use  of  different  words ;  as,  o-to-a',  a  bull ;  mi, 
a  cow  ;  o-tu'-a-mu,  a  male  elk  ;   mi'-i-mu,  a  female  elk  ;  wo  stun',  a  man ;  hi,  a  woman. 

IT.  ADJECTIVES. 

4.  In  the  Dakota,  Blackfoot,  Crow,  and  other  Indian  languages  of  the  Northwest,  the 
adjective  usually  follows  the  noun  which  it  qualifies ;  but  in  the  Shyenne  it  most  com 
monly  precedes,  though  examples  of  both  cases  occur ;  as,  e-ku'-si-si'-o-tum,  a  sharp-nosed 
dog ;  moli-ta'-o-hum,  a  black  horse ;  mai-is'-oi,  a  red  shirt.     In  the  following  instances,  the 
adjective  follows  the  noun :  hu'-Uv-si-wa',  bad  lands ;  wo-i'-ha-i-not,  thick  clouds ;  i-shi'-ni-pit'-siv, 
a  snowy  day. 

5.  Adjectives  have  two  numbers,  singular  and  plural,  the  same  as  nouns.     There  are 
also  two  plural  forms ;  as, 

SINGULAR.  PLURAL. 

1st  form.  2d  form. 

na-tos,  na-to-si-o,  na-to'-sis-to,  cold, 

no-moli'-ta,  no-mOTi'-tai-yo,  no-mol'i'-tas-to,  well, 

i-ha'-i-yom,  i-ha-i-yo'-mi-o,  i-ha-i-yo'-mis-to,  fat. 

e-ho'-ni-cist,  e-ho'-ni-cis'-ta-o,  lazy, 

e-wo'-kfmi,  c-wo-ko'-mi-o,  c-wo-ko'-mo-nist,  white. 

G.  The  cardinal  numbers  are  as  follows : 


284  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY    AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 

one,  noli.  twenty-one,  ni-so'-o-ta-nolV. 

two,  nih.  thirty,  na-no'. 

three,  na'-a.  thirty-one,  na-no'-o-ta-nol'i'. 

four,  ni-pa.  forty,  ni-pu'. 

five,  non.  fifty,  no-no'. 

six,  na-su'-tu.  sixty,  na-so'-to-nu. 

seven,  ni'-so-tu.  seventy,  ni-so'-to-nu. 

eight,  na-noh'-tu.  eighty,  na-noli'-to-nu. 

nine,  soli'-tu.  ninety,  sOli'-to-nu. 

ten,  ma-toli'-to.  one  hundred,  ma-toli'-to-nu. 

eleven,  ma-toh'-to-o-ta-noh'.  two  hundred,  nih'-a-ma-toli'-to-nu. 

twelve,  ma-toh'-to-o-ta-nih'.  three  hundred,  na'-a-ma-toli'-to-nu. 

thirteen,  ma-toli'-to-o-ta-na'-a.  four  hundred,  ni'-pa-ma-toli'-to-nu. 

fourteen,  ma-toh'-to-o-ta-ni'-pa.  five  hundred,  non'-ma-toh'-to-nu. 

fifteen,  ma-toh'-to-o-ta-non'.  six  hundred,  na-su'-tu-ma-toli'-to-nu. 

sixteen,  ma-toh'-to-o-ta-na-su'-tu.  seven  hundred,  ni-so'-tu-ma-toli'-to-nu. 

seventeen,  ma-toh'-to-o-ta-ni'-so-tu.  eight  hundred,  na-noli'-tu-roa-toli '-to-nu. 

eighteen,  ma-toh'-to-o-ta-na-noh'-tu.  nine  hundred,  sol'i'-tu-nia-ton'-to-nu. 

nineteen,  ma-t5h'-to-o-ta-sSli'-tu.  one  thousand,  ma-toh'-tu-ma-toli'-tu-nu. 

twenty,  ni-so'. 

7.  Other  forms  occur,  either  as  numeral  adjectives  or  adverbs. 

i-o-ni'-so-wah'-si-o,  twice,  in  two  ways.  e-na-hanst',  three  pairs. 

mh'-ut-si-na'-wo,  a  double-barrel  gun.  na-suh'-ta-tsi'-na-wo,  six  mouths,  a  revolving  pistol, 

ni-ni-shish',  you  two.  i-na-soli'-to-yos,  six  toes,  a  man  with  six  toes, 

e-no'-ka,  one  pair.  e'-ni-wo'-wa-tanst',  in  four  ways,  four  times, 
e-nih-anst',  two  pairs. 

III.  ADVERBS. 

8.  Adverbs  usually  precede  the  verbs  which  they  qualify ;  as,  po-no-i-W-no-o-ist,  to  throw 
anything  down ;  i-hav'-siv-i-mi'-i-ots,  to  smell  badly. 

IV.  PREPOSITIONS. 

9.  Prepositions  generally  follow  the  nouns  which  they  govern ;  as,  ho-ev',  on  the  ground. 

V,  VI.  CONJUNCTIONS  AND  INTERJECTIONS. 

10.  Of  conjunctions  and  interjections  there  are  but  few.     Most  of  the  former  are  con 
nected  with  other  words,  though  a  few  are  separate  ;  as,  ma'-tu,  and,  also. 

VII.  PRONOUNS. 

11.  The  fragment  or  incorporated  pronouns  are  prefixed  to,  or  inserted  into  nouns,  ad 
jectives,  and  verbs. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE    MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


285 


ma,  an  arrow. 

ma-hots',  pi.  arrows. 

na-ma',  my  arrow. 

ni-ma',  thy  arrow. 

ho-ist',  a  fire,  or  his  fire. 

na-to'-ist,  my  fire. 

ni-to'-ist,  thy  fire. 

ho-i'-stats,  pi.  fires,  or  their  fires. 

na-to'-is-tam,  our  fires. 

ni-to'-is-tam,  your  fires. 

ma'-clk,  a  bow,  or  his  bow. 


ma'-takst,  pi.  bows, 
na-ma'-clk,  my  bow. 
ni-ma'-cik,  thy  bow. 
mo'-dik,  a  knife, 
na-mo'-cik,  my  knife, 
ni-mo'-clk,  thy  knife. 
i-mo-(-Ik,  his  knife, 
mo-takst',  knives, 
na-mo-takst',  our  knives, 
ni-mo-takst',  your  knives. 


12.  The  following  are  the  words  that  denote  kindred,  and  changes  are  made  to  denote 
the  person  of  the  relationship  affirmed,  by  prefixing  to  the  nouns  the  fragmentary  personal 
pronouns ;  as. 


na-ho-e',  my  father. 

na-ko-e',  my  mother. 

na'-a,  my  son. 

na-ton',  my  daughter. 

na-nih'-a,  my  grandchild. 

ni-nil\'-a,  your  grandchild. 

nih'-a,  a  grandchild. 

na-e-ih'-a,  my  great  grandchild. 

na-ni'-a,  my  elder  brother  (spoken  by  a  male). 

na-ta'-ta-riim,  my  elder  brother  (said  by  a  female). 

nam'-ham,  elder  sister  (said  by  a  male). 

hiu'-i,  elder  sister  (said  by  a  female). 

i'-he-mi-ots,  she  is  an  elder  sister. 

na'-hc-mi-ots,  slie  is  my  elder  sister. 

ni'-he-mi-ots,  she  is  your  elder  sister. 

nal'i'-a-him,  my  younger  sister  (said  by  a  male). 

ni-ali'-a-him,  your  younger  sister  (said  by  a  male). 

i-ah''-a-hiin,  his  younger  sister  (said  by  a  male). 

is'-i-ma,  younger  sister  (said  by  a  female). 

na-is'-i-ma,  my  younger  sister  (said  by  a  female). 

ni-is'-i-ma,  your  younger  sister  (said  by  a  female). 

na-hi'-ni-hi'-nots,  my  brothers.  • 

na-e'-ka-e'-ni-nots,  my  sisters. 

ni-to',  brother-in-law. 

ni-tam',  sister-in-law  (wife's  sister). 

na-wi'-si,  a  woman's  husband's  brother's  wife. 

him'-shim,  a  father-in-law. 

na-nim-shim',  my  father-in-law. 

ni-nini-shiin',  your  father-in-law. 


na'-him-shim'-i-not. 

ni'-him-shim'-i-not. 

i'-him-shim'-i-not. 

na'-him-shim'-i-no. 

ni'-him-shim'-i-hu. 

ni'-him-shim'-i-no. 

na-han',  his  aunt. 

na-na-han',  my  aunt. 

ni-na-han',  your  aunt. 

it-sin'-ot,  nephew,  his  nephew. 

na-tsin'-ot,  my  nephew. 

ni-tsin'-6t,  your  nephew. 

na-it-sin'-o-ta,  our  nephews. 

ni-it-sin'-o-ta,  your  nephews. 

na-ham',  his  niece. 

na-na-ham',  my  niece. 

ni-na-ham',  your  niece. 

na-na-hai'-ha-mi-nuts,  our  nieces. 

na-hai'-ham-i-wo,  our  nieces. 

e-mi-shim',  his  stepfather. 

na-mi-shim',  my  stepfather. 

ni-mi-shim',  thy  stepfather. 

nish'-ki-e,  mother-in-law  (said  by  male  and  female). 

hi-hum',  a  husband. 

hi-hum'-i-wo,  pi.  husbands. 

na-i-hum',  my  husband. 

ni-i-hum',  thy  husband. 

e-is'-tsi-im,  his  wife. 

e-is'-tsi-im'-i-o,  his  wives. 


286 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 


na-tsi-im',  my  wife, 
ni-tsi-iin',  thy  wife. 


ni-sis'.  a  man's  male  cousin. 


13.  The  single  pronouns  are  divided  into  separate  or  incorporated,  or  those  which  form 
separate  words,  or  those  which  are  prefixed  to  or  inserted  into  verbs,  adjectives,  and  nouns. 
The  following  is  a  list  of  the  principal  separate  pronouns,  personal  or  otherwise : 


na-ni'hu,  I. 
ni-ni'-hu,  thou. 
i-ni'-hu,  he  or  it. 
na-ni'-hu-in,  we. 
ni-ni'-hu-in,  you. 
in-i-hu-wi'-o,  they, 
na-tsi'-ots,  mine. 
nis-tsi'-ots,  thine, 
is-tsi'-ots,  his,  hen-,  its. 
nat-so-tan',  me,  myself, 
nit-so-tan',  thou,  thyself, 
is-tso-wiv',  they,  themselves. 


ne'-wi-shi'-wos,  both,  they  two. 
ni-wa'-as,  who. 
rii-wa'-si-o,  pi. 
hi'-nu-wa'-it,  what, 
to'-nish,  when, 
tas,  which, 
to-nist',  how  many, 
no'-tsi-to,  this, 
nis'-i-wo,  that, 
hc-to',  these, 
he-to-is'-ta-nuts,  those, 
no-nis'-to-whews,  those. 


VIII.    ADJECTIVE  s. 


14.  Adjectives  and  adjective-verbs  are  declined,  by  prefixing  the  fragment-pronouns,  in 
the  following  manner : 


na  pi'-wa,  I  am  good, 
ni-pi'-wa,  thou  art  good, 
i-pi'-wa,  he  is  good, 
na-pa'-wan,  we  are  good, 
ni-pi'-wan,  you  are  good, 
i-pi'-wa-na'-no,  they  are  good. 

na-tai'-pa-wan,  I  will  be  good, 
ni-tai'-pa-wan,  thou  wilt  be  good, 
e-tai'-pa-wan,  he  will  be  good, 
iia-tai'-pa-wa'-na-non,  we  will  be  good, 
ni-tai'-pa-wa'-na-non,  you  will  be  good, 
e-tai'-pa-wa'-na-no,  they  will  be  good. 

*na-shi-pau'-a,  I  am  already  good  or  handsome. 
ni-shi-pau'-a,  thou  art  already  good  or  handsome, 
i-shi-pau'-a,  he  is  already  good  or  handsome, 
na-shi-pau'-av,  we  arc  already  good  or  handsome, 
ni-shi-pau'-av,  you  are  already  good  or  handsome. 


i-shi-pau'-av, 
i-shi-pau'-a-na-no, 


they  are  already  good  or  hand 
some. 


na-pau  -hai,    ) 

V  I  am  handsome  or  pretty. 
na-pe-whai,   > 

ni-pau'-hai,  thou  art  handsome  or  pretty, 
i-piv'-hai,  he  is  handsome  or  pretty, 
na-pau'-haim,  I  am  handsome  or  pretty, 
ni-pau'-haim,  you  arc  handsome  or  pretty, 
i-pau-hai'-yo,    -s 

i-pau-hais'-to,    t  they  are  handsome  or  pretty, 
i-piv-hais'-to,    - 

na-pi'-wi-e-wi,  I  am  well,  or  in  good  condition, 
ni-pi'-wi-e-wi,  thou  art  well, 
i-pi'-wi-e-wi,  he  is  well, 
na-pi'-wi-iv'-nim,  we  are  well, 
ni-pi'-wi-iv'-nim,  you  are  well. 

i-pi'-wi-iv'-ni-o,      •) 

[   they  are  well, 
i-pi'-wi-iv -nis-to,   J 


*  The  adverb  nish  is  inserted,  meaning  now,  already,  quickly. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


287 


na-na'-tos,  I  am  cold, 
ni-na'-tos,  thou  art  cold, 
i-na'-tos,  he  is  cold, 
na-na'-to-sim,  we  are  cold, 
ni-na'-to-sim,  you  are  cold. 

i-na'-to-si'-o.      ) 

J.   they  are  cold, 
i-na  -to-sis  -to,   ) 

na-sa'-na-to-sin,  I  am  not  cold, 
ni-sa'-na-to-sin,  thou  art  not  cold, 
i-sa'-na-to-sin,  he  is  not  cold, 
na-sa'-na-to-si'-him,  we  are  not  cold. 


ni-sa'-na-to-si'-him,  you  are  not  cold, 
i-sa'-na-to-si-hi-o,  they  are  not  cold. 

na-shi-na'-tos,  now  I  am  cold, 
ni-shi-na'-tos,  now  thou  art  cold, 
i-shi-na'-tos,  now  he  is  cold, 
na-shi-na'-to-sim,  now  we  are  cold, 
ni-shi-na'-to-sim,  now  you  are  cold. 

i-shi-na'-to-si-o,       i 

}•   now  they  are  cold. 
i-shi-Da -to-sis-to,    J 


There  is  a  form  in  frequent  use  among  the  Shyennes,  which  expresses  future  time  by 
prefixing  an  adverb ;  as : 

noli'-a-na-na'-tos,  I  will  be  cold.  e-no-moli'-tai-yo, 

noli'-a-ni-na'-tos,  thou  wilt  be  cold.  e-no- 


o-moli  -tai-yo.   •) 

f-  they  arc  well, 
o-mon  -tas-to,    j 


na-no-moli'-ta,  I  am  well  (not  sick), 
ni-no-moh'-ta,  thou  art  well, 
e-no-moh'-ta,  he  is  well, 
na-no-moli'-tam,  we  are  well, 
ni-no-moli'-tam,  you  arc  well. 


i-moli-tan',  black. 

na-moli-tan'-wa,  me  black,  I  am  black, 
ni-moli-tan'-wa,  thou  art  black, 
i-moh-tan'-wa,  he  is  black. 

i-moh'-ta-whai'-yu,  black-black  (emphatic),  like  the 
Dakota  sap-sap'-pa. 


IX.  VERBS. 


15.  Shyenne  verbs  have  three  moods,  indicative,  imperative,  and  infinitive ;  three  tenses, 
present,  past,  and  future ;  three  persons,  first,  second,  and  third ;  two  numbers,  singular 
and  plural.  There  are  two  forms  of  the  plural ;  the  common  form  meaning  a  number  or 
several,-  and  the  other  is  probably  caused  by  the  addition  of  a-is'-to,  a  great  many,  like 
the  similar  form  in  the  Blackfoot  verbs,  by  the  addition  of  a-ku'-a-wa. 


na-wi'-ats,  I  am. 
ni-wi'-ats,  thou  art. 
i-wi'-ats,  he  is. 
na-wi'-at-sim,  we  are. 
ni-wi'-at-sim,  you  are. 
i-wi'-at-si'-o,  they  are. 
i-wi'-at-sis'-to,  they  are. 


na-pau'-i-mit,  I  give  liberally, 
ni-pi'-wi-mit,  thou  givest  liberally, 
i-pau'-i-mitst,  he  gives  liberally, 
na-pi'-wi-mi-tain,  we  give  liberally, 
ni-pi'-wi-mi-tain,  you  give  liberally. 

i-pi'-wi-mi-ta,          ) 

>•  they  give  liberally, 
i-pi -wi-mi-tai  -yo,  J 


By  inserting  the  word  nish,  now,  at  once,  quickly,  we  have  the  other  forms  of  this  verb, 
conjugated  as  follows: 

na-shi-pau'-i-mit,  I  give  liberally  now.  i-shi-pi'-wa-mi'-o,  he  gives  liberally  now. 

ni-shi-pi'-wa-mit,  thou  givest  liberally  now.  na-shi-pi'-wa-mi'-tain,  we  give  liberally  now. 

VOL.  xn. — 37 


288 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


ni-shi-pi'-wa-mi-tain,  you  give  liberally  now. 
i-shi-pi'-wa-mi'-a-to,  they  give  liberally  now. 

SECOND   FOBM. 

na-pi'-wi-i-shi,  I  give  liberally  now. 
ni-pi'-wi-i-shi,  thou  givest  liberally  now. 
i-pi'-wi-i-shi,  he  gives  liberally  now. 
na-pi'-wi-i-shi'-im,  we  give  liberally  now. 
ni-pi'-wi-i-shi'-im,  you  give  liberally  now. 
i-pi'-wi-i-shi'-i-o, 


i-pi -wi-i-shi  -i-o,      •) 

}•  they  give  liberally 
.i-pi -wi-i-shi -is-to,    J 


now. 


na-mis'-a,  I  eat. 
tri-mis'-a,  thou  eatest. 
i-mis'-a,  he  eats, 
na-inis'-em,  we  eat. 
ni-mis'-em,  you  eat. 
i-mis'-i-o,  they  eat. 


na-shi'-i-ni-mis'-a,  I  eat  quickly  now. 
ni-shi'-i-ni-mis'-a,  thou  eatest  quietly  now. 
i-shi'-i-ni-mis'-a,  he  eats  quickly  now. 
na-shi'-i-ni-mis'-em,  we  eat  quickly  now. 
ni-shi'-i-ni-niis'-em,  you  eat  quickly  now. 
i-shi'-i-ni-mis'-i-o,  they  cat  quickly  now. 

na-mis'-a-tun,  I  will  eat. 
ni-mis'-a-tun,  thou  wilt  eat. 
i-ruis'-a-tun,  he  will  eat. 
na-mis'-a-tun-om,  we  will  eat. 
ni-mis'-a-tun-om,  you  will  eat. 
i-mis'-a-tun-oh'-to,  they  will  eat. 

mis'-a  (imp.  sing.),  eat.     (Dakota,  wo-ta-wo'.) 
wi'-na-mis'-a  (imp.  pi.).     (Dakota,  wo-ta-po'.) 


This  verb  may  also  be  negatively  conjugated  by  the  insertion  of  the  negative  particle  sa. 


na-sa'-mis-a-tun,  I  will  not  eat. 
ni-sa'-mis-a-tun,  thou  wilt  not  eat,  &c. 

na-pi'-o-si-man,  I  think  badly  of  some  one  secretly 

'in  the  heart. 

ni-pi'-o-si-man,  thou  thinkest  badly,  &c. 
i-pi'-o-sim,  he  thinks  badly,  &c. 
na-pi'-o-si-ma'-niui,  we  think  badly,  &c. 
ni-pi'-o-si-ma'-nim,  you  think  badly,  &c. 

i-pi'-o-si'-mi-o.          i 

[  they  think  badly,  &e. 
i-pi'-o-si'-mo-cY-sto,  J 

e'-wi-ist  (infinitive),  to  beg. 

na-wi-is'-to-roo,  I  beg. 
ni-wi-is'-to-mo,  thou  dost  beg. 
i-wi-is'-to-mo,  he  begs, 
na-wi-is'-to-mo'-in,  we  beg. 
ni-wi-is'-to-mo'-in,  you  beg. 
i-wi-is'-to-mo'-i-o,  they  beg. 

mi'-ta-nut,  to  remember. 

na-mi'-ta-nut,  I  remember, 
ni-mi'-ta-nut,  thou  dost  remember. 


i-mi'-ta-nut,  he  remembers, 
na-mi-ta'-nut-a-nu,  we  remember, 
ni-mi-ta'-nut-a-nu,  you  remember, 
i-mi-ta'-nut-o,  they  remember. 

na-o'-mo-tom,  I  breathe, 
ni-o'-mo-tom,  thou  brcathest. 
i-o'-mo-tom,  he  breathes, 
na-o'-mo-to-mim,  we  breathe, 
ni-o'-mo-to-mim,  you  breathe, 
i-o'-mo-to'-mis-to,  they  breathe. 

o'-mo-tom  (imp.  sing.)  breathe, 
o'-mo-to-mist  (imp.  pi.) 

na'-no-mats,  I  steal, 
ni'-no-mats,  thou  stealcst. 
e'-no-mats,  he  steals. 
na-no-ma'-tsim,  we  steal, 
ni-no-ma'-tsim,  you  steal, 
c-no-ma'-tsi-o, 
c-no-ma'- 


a-tsi-o,       •) 

}•    they  steal, 
a'-tsi-to,      ) 


na-tai'-no-mats,  I  will  steal,  I  am  going  to  steal. 
ni-tai'-no-mats,  thou  wilt  steal. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


289 


e-tai'-no-mats,  he  will  steal, 
na-tai'-no-ma'-tsim,  we  will  steal, 
ni-tai'-no-ma'-tsim,  you  will  steal, 
e-tai'-no-nia'-tsi-o, 
e-tai'-no-ma'- 


a-tst-o.     ) 

J-  they  will  steal, 
a'-tsi-to,    j 


na-ni'-no-mats,  I  have  stolen,  I  am  done  stealing. 

ni-ni'-no-mats,  thou  hast  stolen. 

c-ni'-no-inats,  he  has  stolen. 

na-ni'-no-ma'-tsim,  we  have  stolen. 

ni-ni'-no-ma'-tsim,  you  have  stolen. 

e-ni'-no-ma'-tsi-o, 

e-ni'-no-ma'- 


i'-tsi-o.     ) 

J.   they  have  stolen, 
a'-tsi-to,    ) 


no-ma'-tsi-6st  (imp.  sing),  steal  thou. 
no-ma'-tsi-o  (imp.  pi.) 

na-oli-to',  I  trade  or  barter, 
ni-ol'i-to',  thou  dost  trade  or  barter, 
e-ol'i-to',  he  trades  or  barters. 
na-6li-to'-wam,  we  trade  or  barter, 
ni-oli-to'-wam,  you  trade  or  barter, 
c-oli  to'-wa-o, 
e- 


D-oli  to'-wa-o,     ) 

>•  they  trade  or  barter 
e-ol'i-to'-wa-to,    ) 


na-tai'-oh-to,  I  will  trade  or  barter, 
ni-tai'-oli-to,  thou  wilt  trade  or  barter, 
e-tai'-oh-to,  he  will  trade  or  barter. 
na-tai'-6h-to-wam',  we  will  trade  or  barter, 
ni-tai'-oh-to-wam',  you  will  trade  or  barter, 
c-tai-oli-to-wa'-o, 
c-tai-oh-to-wa'-to, 


they  will  trade  or  barter. 


na-i-noli'-to,  I  have  traded  or  bartered,  or  I  have 

done  trading. 

iii-i-noli'-to,  thou  hast  traded,  &c. 
e-noli'-to,  he  has  traded,  &c. 
na-i-noli'-to-wam,  we  have  traded,  &c. 
ni-i-noh'-to-wam,  you  have  traded,  &c. 
e-noh'-to-wa-o, 
c-noh'-to-wa-i 


[•   they  have  traded,  &c. 
wa-to,   ) 


na'-am,  I  shoot. 
ni'-am,  thou  dost  shoot. 


i'-a-mo,  he  shoots, 
na'-a-mon,  we  shoot. 
ni'-a-mon,  you  shoot, 
i'-a-mov,  they  shoot. 

na-ta'-am,  I  will  shoot. 
ni-ta'-am,  thou  wilt  shoot, 
i-ta'-a-mo,  he  will  shoot, 
na-ta'-a-mon,  we  will  shoot. 
ni-ta'-a-mon,  you  will  shoot, 
i-ta'-a-mov,  they  will  shoot. 

na'-ni-aui,  I  have  shot. 
ni'-ni-am,  thou  hast  shot, 
i-ni'-a-mo,  he  has  shot, 
na-ni'-a-mon,  we  have  shot. 
ni-ni'-a-mon,  you  have  shot, 
i'-ni-a-mov'.  they  have  shot- 
am  (imp.  sing.)  shoot, 
ta'-mi  (imp.  pi.) 

na.-na! -i-fots,  I  am  dead, 
ni-na'-i-yots,  thou  art  dead, 
i-na'-i-yots,  he  is  dead, 
na-na'-i-yo'-tsim,  we  are  dead, 
ni-na'-i-yo'-tsim,  you  are  dead, 
i-na'-i-yo'-tsi-o,  they  are  dead. 

na'-to-is6,  I  wrap  up  anj'thing. 
ni'-to-is<5,  thou  wrappest  up  anything. 
i'-to-is<5,  he  wraps  up  anything, 
na'-to-is'-ci-non,  we  wrap  up  anything, 
ni'-to-is'-tfi-non,  you  wrap  up  anything, 
i'-to-is'-ci-no,  they  wrap  up  anything. 

nali'-ai-im,  I  cry. 
ni-ali'-ai-im,  thou  criest. 
i-ali'-ai-im,  he  eries. 
nali'-ai-a-mim,  we  cry. 
ni-ali'-ai-a-mim,  you  cry. 
i-ali'-ai-a-mi-o,  they  cry. 

c-ali'-ai-a-nii  (imp.  sing.),  cry. 


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ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


na-sa-ah'-ai-im,  I  do  not  cry. 
ni-sa-ali'-ai-im,  thou  dost  not  cry. 

nali-po-o'-is<5,  I  bind  or  tie. 
ni-oli-po-o'-is6,  thou  dost  bind  or  tie. 
e-6li-po-o'-is6,  be  binds  or  ties, 
na-oli-po-o'-is-ci-non,  we  bind  or  tie. 
ni-6li-po-o'-is-ci-non,  you  bind  or  tic. 
e-oli-po-o'-is-ci-no,  tbcy  bind  or  tic. 

e  oh-po-o'-inst  (imp.) 

na-ta'-niit,  I  give, 
ni-ta'-mit,  thou  givest. 
i-ta'-mit,  he  gives. 


mi'-tsi  (imp.),  give, 
ni-niitst  (imp.),  give  me. 
tsi'-vi-mit  (imp.),  not  give. 
nu-h'a'-na-ta'-mit,  hold  on,  I  give. 

i-shi-mansc',  to  be  done  or  finished. 

na-sbi-mansc',  I  am  done  or  have  finished, 
ni-shi-mansc',  thou  art  done  or  hast  finished. 
na-shi-man'-s6i-non,  we  are  done  or  have  finished. 
ni-shi-man'-s6i-non,  you  are  done  or  have  finished, 
i-shi-ma'-ni-o,  they  (a  moderate  number),  are  done 

or  have  finished, 
i-shi-man'-sc'i-no,  they  (a  great  many),  are  done  or 

have  finished. 


NAMES   OP   TRIBES,   PERSONS,   AND   RIVERS. 


o-e'-tun'-i-o,  the  Crows. 

so'-so-ni  and  so'-so-i-ha'-ni,  Snakes. 

i-tun'-i-wo,  the  Skymen,  Arapohos. 

o-o'-ho-mo-i'-o,  Dakotas  generally. 

o-toh'-son,  Little  Stars,  Ogallalas. 

moh-ta'-wa-ta-ta'-ni-o,  Blackfeet  Dakotas,  the  Blackfect 

people, 
ma'-i-sin-as,  Sansares,  No-bows,  same  meaning  as  with 

the  Dakotas.    . 

wo-ni-to'-na-his,  Brulees,  Burnt  Thighs. 
nih'-a-o-6ih'-a-is,  Two  Kettle  band, 
ho-tum'-mi'-bu-is,  the  Band  that  eat  no  dogs, 
mi'-sis :  one  half  of  the  Shyenne  tribe  call  themselves 

mi'-sis ;  same  name  as  the  Platte  lliver. 
po-no-i'-ta-ni-o,  the  name  of  the  other  portion  of  the 

Shyennes.    Different  nations  with  whom  they  have 

been  at  war,  gave  them  the  name,  shai-en'-a,  shai- 

e'-la,  &c. 

na'-to-wo-na,  the  Mississippi  Dakotas. 
ho-he'-i-o,  Assiniboins. 
moh-tau-hai'-ta-ni-o,  the  Blackmen,  Utes. 
ka-ko'-is-tsi'-a-ta'-ni-o,  people  who  flatten  their  beads ; 

the  Flatheads. 

po'-o-nias,  blankets  whitened  with  earth,  Blackfeet. 
bis-tu-i'-ta-ni-o,  Gros  Ventres  of  the  prairie,  Atsinas. 

The  Shyennes  say  that  the  Atsinas  call  themselves, 

"  men"  or  "  people  ;"  hence,  they  have  another 

name  for  them,  c-ta'-ni-o,  which  means  a  people. 


wi-tup-a'-tu,  Comanches. 

shish-i-nu'-wut-tsit'-a-ni-o,  the  Rattlesnake  people,  Kio- 
was  ;  shish-i-nu'-wut,  a  rattlesnake. 

o-ni'-ha-o,  the  Drum-beaters,  Omahas. 

ho-ni'-i-ta-ni-o,  the  Little  Wolf  people,  Pawnees. 

o-no'-ni-o,  Arickaras. 

mo-no'-ni  o,  Mandans. 

ma-wi'-o,  Red-bodied  people,  Mormons. 

mish-i-si'-wi-o,  people  with  hairy  noses,  Spaniards. 

ka-he'-ta-ni-o,  people  with  white  ermines,  some  people 
who  accompanied  the  Spaniards  to  trade  with  the 
Shyennes,  and  tied  their  hair  with  strips  of  white 
ermine  skin. 

hev'-hai-ta-ni-o,  the  hairy  people,  a  band  of  the  Shy 
ennes. 

is-is-i-wi'-ho-niv,  head  chief  of  the  mi'-sis  band. 

tsi-wi'-o-nirst,  the  name  of  a  chief. 

he-o-ma'-ast,  the  Red  Body,  a  woman's  name. 

ni-ni-i'-o-he,  the  Platte  River. 

wa-at'-si-wa'-i-yo-he,  Deer  Creek. 

hi-na-i-yu'-he,  Laramie  Fork. 

tsin'-o-o-no,  Box  Elder  Creek,  Bad-wood  Creek. 

ha-ha'-o-he,  Very  Windy  Creek. 

nal'i-o-i-yo'-he,  Bear  Creek. 

6li-i-i'-o-he,  Lodge  Pole  Creek. 

a-wo'-a-na-tsi'-o-he,  the  creek  where  the  Pawnees  cry. 
The  Pawnees  went  to  war  with  the  Shyennes,  and 
had  several  of  their  number  killed  ;  on  their  re- 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLE1". 


291 


turn,  they  stayed  four  days  on  this  creek,  and 
cried  for  revenge,  without  eating  or  drinking, 
wi-ta-ni'-o-he,  Fat  Eiver,  South  Platte. 


mali-i-mi'-no-i-o-he,  Plum  Creek. 

i'-o-mit,  Turbid  or  Muddy  Water,  Missouri  River. 

mo-e-i-o'-he,  Elk  River,  Yellowstone. 


NAMES   OP   THE   PRINCIPAL    MAMMALS. 


o-to-a',  a  male  buffalo.     l>os  Americanus. 

mi,  a  female,  a  cow. 

mok-si-ai',  a  calf. 

is'-i-wan,  a  herd  of  buffalo. 

o-tu'-a-mu,  a  male  elk.      Ccrvus  Canadensts. 

uii'-i-mu,  a  female  elk. 

mu-ki-his',  a  young  elk. 

mu  e',  a  herd  of  elk. 

o-tu'-a-kiis,  mountain  sheep,  male.      Ovis  Montana. 

mi'-i-kus,  female  sheep. 

ku-sai'-i-su,  young  sheep. 

ku-sun',  a  flock  of  sheep. 

o-tu'-o-wo-ka,  white-tailed  deer.      Cervus  hucurus. 

mi'-i-wo'-ka,  female  deer. 

wo-ka-hais',  young  deer. 

wo-ka'-i,  a  herd  or  flock. 


moli'-ta-wi-wast-wa-wo'-tsi-wa,  black-tailed  deer.  Cer 
vus  macrotls. 

moh'-ta-wi-wast-wo'-tsi-wan,  black-tailed  deer,  (pi.) 

wa-ko-tsi-wai-is,  small  or  young  black-tailed  deer. 

wo'-ka,  antelope.     Atilocapra  Americana. 

wuh'-o'.     Lcpvs  artemisia. 

ai'-ni-wo.     Lcpus  campestris. 

woli-is',  swift  fox,  kit  fox.      Vulpcs  velox. 

ma-ta  i'-woli-is',  large  red  fox.      Vulpes  macrourus. 

ha'-o,  a  skunk.     Mephitis  mephitica. 

moli'-ta-wi-na'-ku,  a  black  bear.  Ui'sus.  Na'-ku,  a 
bear. 

mi'-ni-wa-ka'-o.      Spermophilus  tridecem  lincatus. 

mi-ni-wa-ka'-tsi-po-ast.      Tamias  qiiadrivitf.atus. 

no-c',  red  squirrel  of  the  pines. 

he-ko'-wit,  a  porcupine.     Eretliizon  epixanlhus. 


NAMES   OF   BIRDS,    SERPENTS,   ETC. 


mo  (sing.),  mo'-e  (pi-),  magpie.     Pica  Iludsoiiica. 
ma-ka-i-tai'-wi-kis,  a  humming  bird,  iron  bird, 
ni'-po-tats-pi,  nighthawk.      Chordcilcs  popetuc. 
ai'-sto-rao-pi,  poorwill.     Antrostomus  Nuttulli. 
a-o-tsi'-mis-tac,  prairie  owl.     Athene  Jiypngce. 
si-wa'-ni-shish,  fish-duck.     Menjus  Americanvs. 
po-pai'-ki-ta-nais,  sandpiper.      Trinya. 
mili'-a-is,  chickadee.     Parus  septentrionalis. 
e-it',  Maximilian's  jay.      Gymnokitta  cyanocrphala. 
a-ka-wo'-i-tu  is',  sap-sucker. 

ma-i-shi'-o-nun,  robin-redbreast.    Turdus  miyratoriiis. 
sus'-ki-wat,  a  small,  gray,  winter  sparrow, 
ko-nali-tum',  gray-crowned  finch.     Lcucostictc  lephro- 

cotts. 

mah-c-mis'-ta-a,  large  eared  owl.      Otus  Wilsoniamis. 
mis-ta-kis',  small  gray  owl.     Nyctale  acadica. 
mai'-ya-tak,  spatula-billed  duck.     Apatula  dypeala. 
sis-ta-to'-wi-kis,  Say's  flycatcher.     Sayorms  Sayus. 
o'-i-na,  small  woodpecker,  with  a  red  band  on  back  of 

the  neck. 


o  ha'-mi-shish',  green-winged  teal.     Nettion  Carolincn- 

sis. 

lia-ma-shish',  blue-winged  teal.     Qitcrqucdula  discors. 
mo-he-nuh,  a  rusty  yellow  hawk, 
hau'-no-wa-wi-kis,  butcher  bird. 

ho-i-no'-si-wi-kis,  common  snowbird.     Junco  hyemalis. 
ha-dim,  mud-hen.     Fulica  Americana. 
woh-a,  bald  eagle.     Ilalicctus  leucocephalus, 
ai'-e-no,  a  kind  of  hawk, 
o'-ko-uin,  a  small  screech  owl.     Scops  asio. 
mo-e'-a,  domestic  pigeon. 

mal\-c-min',  wild  pigeon.     Ec.topistcs  miyratoria. 
he-mi-ni'-su,  turtle-dove.     Zenaidura  Carolinensls. 
shish-to-tu'-wi-kis,  cedar  bird.     Ampelis  cedrorum. 
mai'-e-sai'-e,  cheewink.     Plpilo  arcticus. 
mat-si'-ni.      Tyrannus  Carolinicnsi's. 
o'-e-ni,  little  nuthatch.      Silta  Canadensis. 
ma-e-wis',    red-breasted  grosbeak.      Guiraca  mclano- 

cephnla. 
sus-ki'-wat,  a  brown  bunting. 


292 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 


mi-wa-wi'-kis,  butcher  bird.      Collyrio  excurbitoidcs. 
c-a-wo-ci-mo-pa,  a  cuckoo.      Coecygvt  Americanus. 
mali-ta'-hc-in,  white-winged   blackbird.      Dulichonyx, 

oryzivorus. 

e-nis'-ko-na'-wi-wo-to'-nats,  martin.    Progne  purpurea. 
shili-q-to'-nc,  banded-tailed  hawk, 
no-man'-to-ki-si-wa'-nos,  a  kind  of  hawk, 
mo-ta'-wo-is-tom,  a  kind  of  hawk, 
po-pa'-ki-ta-no'-i-sun,  a  sandpiper.      Trinrjoides. 
he-i'-mi-e.  (?) 

shi'-ish,  a  heron.     Ardea  herodias. 
wi-i-e',  bittern.     Botaurus  lentiyinosus. 
mo-o-ko',  whooping  crane.      Grits  Americanus. 
wo'-a,  a  swan.      Cygnus  buccinator. 
he'-na,  a  brant  goose. 
wo-ko-mi'-na,  a  white  goose. 
raai-a-tauh,  a  goosander, 
shi-wa-ne-shish',  red-breasted  teal.      Querqiicdula  cya- 

nopterts. 

o-wish',  long-billed  curlew.     Numenius  longirostris. 
pa'-wi-wi-kis,  wax  wing.     Ampelis  garrulus. 


shish-to-to'-wa'-hi-yis,  ruffed  grouse.  Bonasa  itm- 
bellus. 

shi-shi-noli'-uts,  a  rattlesnake.      Crotalus  conjlucntus. 

sas-ko'-wi-tan,  a  striped  water-snake.  Eutainia  Hay- 
den  i. 

ni-e',  large  prairie  snake.     Pituophis  Suyi. 

o-ho'-i-tsi-mim,  a  green  snake.  Bascanion  flavivcn- 
tris. 

ka-ko'-i-mira,  a  bull  snake.     Ueterodon  nasicus. 

nia'-i-min.  (?) 

inoli'-ta-wi-min,  water  moccasin.     Nerodia  s/'pcdon. 

ais'-toli'-an,  a  round  turtle  that  sits  on  the  prairie, 
looks  like  a  "buffalo  chip,"  and  if  undisturbed, 
watches  the  sun,  and  turns  with  it. 

ha-ta'-o-wis,  a  swift,  or  lizard,  found  in  the  sand-hills. 
Plesliodon. 

ho'-o-ma,  a  musquito. 

hali'-nom,  a  horse-fly. 

minst'k-so-ni,  small  insects,  ants,  lice,  &c. 

mi'-shi-min,  caterpillars. 


NAMES   OF   PLANTS. 


ho-i-nai'-i-mo-i,  a  plant  found  near  the  summits  of  the 
high  mountains,  growing  on  the  rocks  in  thick 
masses,  like  moss. 

wih-ci-wa-no,  Sarcolatus  vermicularis,  called  by  the 
traders  "  grease-wood."  It  is  a  chenopodiaceous 
plant,  grows  in  thick  clumps,  three  to  six  feet 
high,  and  is  often  used  for  fuel  by  the  Indians 
and  voyageurs  in  their  travels  over  the  treeless 
prairies.  It  is  very  abundant  throughout  the 
saline  clays  of  the  cretaceous  and  tertiary  forma 
tions  of  the  Upper  Missouri,  but  more  especially 
abundant  in  the  valleys  of  the  Yellowstone  and 
Missouri  near  their  sources. 

toh-to-i-wili '-i-wa'-no,  a  shrub  somewhat  similar  to  the 
last. 

mah'-i-wa'-no,  Artemisia  trifohi,  a  very  abundant 
shrub  along  the  bottoms  of  streams,  as  well  as  the 
uplands  on  the  Upper  Missouri.  It  grows  some 
times  to  the  height  of  ten  feet,  with  stems  six 
inches  in  diameter,  and  is  also  useful  for  fuel. 

he'-i-wa-nost',  Artemisia  frigida,  wild  sage. 


kok-si-wa'-no,  a  species  of  Artemisia  like  A.  trlfida, 
growing  on  the  Big-horn  Mountains. 

wa-ni'-tsi-pa-i-me'-i-its,  a  low  sage ;  herbaceous. 

mali-i-ini'-ka-ist,  Linosyris graveolcns,  a  shrub  associa 
ted  with  the  grease-wood  and  sage,  and  used  as  fuel. 

o-i-nai'-i-ko-wost,  Phlox  Hoodi,  a  low  species;  looks 
like  gray,  rigid  moss. 

lia-ma-mili'-a-ist,  Gulicrrtzia  cutfiamia'. 

woh-pi-wili'-i-wa-no,  Enrol ia  lanata. 

ci-hos-c'i'-a-wo'-e-ist,  a  Solid mjn,  named  from  its  large 
yellow  flowers. 

mi-mi'-a-ton,  spruce  pine.     Abies. 

wa'-no-wan,  Frasera,  a  tall  plant  growing  in  the  moun 
tains. 

ha-ma-sis'-ti-to,  Pinus. 

hc-yo-wo'-ist,  all  kinds  of  moss. 

mali-i-no-a-ni'-o-nuts,  Ghimapliila  umbcllata. 

shi-ni-wa'-tsi-wa-mo'-e,  Potentilla  Norveyica. 

ma-ost',  a  tall,  fine  species  of  Erioijonnm. 

hc-ho-wa-nis'-tots,  a  yellow  moss  like  lichen,  used  for 
dyeing  porcupine  quills. 


INDIAN    TRIBES    OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY. 


293 


hc-si'-i-yo-tsi'-nio-ist,  Marcliantia  polymorpha,  used  as 
a  medicine. 

tslh -i-wop-tsa'-a-wo-ist,  Achillea  millifoUum. 

wo-ko-mi-si'-i-6ts,  En/oca  sericea. 

toh'-to-i-wa-nost,  a  gray  slirubby  plant,  like  Linosy- 
ris. 

toh'-to-i-cili'-i-wo-yast,  a  common  ground  lichen. 

tsi-waks-tsi'-a-wo-ist,  a  fire-weed  growing  on  the  tops 
of  the  mountains.  Ercchtliites. 

toli-to-e'-o-pais,  a  fungus,  a  small  puff-ball. 

cih-c'a-e'-o-ni'-o-wist,  a  shrub  growing  abundantly  in 
the  Shyenne  country. 

mish-kim',  box  elder.     Acer  neyitndo. 

hais-tah-pa-nis'-to-tuts,  "white  grass  or  weeds;"  a  low 
species  of  Erigonum  growing  among  the  rocks. 

eli'-o-wo-ist,  "jagged  seeded."    Atriplex. 

i-a-kis'.     Spirea. 

o-ta'-ton-wi-si'-i-ots,  "green  medicine;"  a  plant  grow 
ing  on  the  Big-horn  Mountains. 

ma-ko'-ist,  "red-weed."     Epiloliuin  cffusum. 

we'-si-wo,  a  kind  of  grass,  the  stem  of  which  is  used 
to  clean  out  the  pipe-stem. 

na-si'-tsi-wo,  "  pipe-tail  grass,"  a  species  of  grass. 

ho-i-nos,  "bunch-weed;"  a  species  of  Eriyeron,  grow 
ing  in  bunches. 

hai'-ku-ni-ka-mali',  "strong  or  hard  wood;"  a  bush 
growing  in  the  mountains. 

si-wopst-ci'-a-wo-ist,  "  gray  grass  with  white  blossoms." 
Antennaria  planlaginifolia. 

ais'-to-mi-wa-nost,  "white  weed  of  the  prairie,"  a 
woolly  plant. 

tseh-e'-wo-nist,  "  rattling  weed."     Penstcmon. 

he-e-wa-nost',  "woman-weed;"  so  called  because  it  is 
used  by  the  women  during  the  period  of  their 
menses  as  a  tea.  Artemisia  frlyida. 

mol'i-ta'-wi-wa-nost,  "  black-gray  grass."  Artemisia 
ludoviciana. 

so-so'-ni-wa-nost,  "snake-weed;"  a  kind  of  Artem isia. 

wi-oli'-i-wa-nost,  "  bad-weed."  It  is  called  "  bad- 
weed"  because  it  catches  the  clothes  with  its 
thorns. 

ksa-ma-tum-ots,  "  bush  that  the  big  -  horn  eats  ;" 
grows  in  the  mountains ;  looks  like  a  Smilax. 

hai-i-so',  "  prairie-water  weed."  Pulyjonum  ramo- 
sisstmtim. 


wis-ki-e'-mi-nost,  "  sweet  blueberries  ;"  a  large-leaved 

plant  growing  in  the  mountains, 
mi-ni-mi-notst,  "rattlesnake  bush  ;"  so  called  because 

the  rattlesnake  is  supposed   to  eat   the   leaves. 

Berlieris  aquifolium. 
shi-sto-to',  a  spruce  pine, 
ma-pi'-mo-ist,  "  weeds  that  the  water  flows  through." 

Parnassia. 
na-ko'-is-ta'-tsi-mi-nu,  "bear  berry,"  black  haw;    so 

called  because  the  bears  eat  the  fruit. 
si-ul\-i-i'-si-o-te-si'-ist,  fox-tail  grass ;  named  from  the 

beards  which  get  in  the  mouth,  and  work  down 

the  throat,  and  excite  coughing, 
hon-ski-wi'-si-wo,  "grass  with  a  small  stem,"   a  spe 
cies  of  grass. 
i-ta'-ni-wa-nost',  "  man's  weed,"  Artemisia   Canaden- 

sis. 

ino-i-ac',  "milk-weed,"  Lyyodesmia juncea. 
mo-to6',  "  bitterwood,"  Populus,  bitter  cottonwood. 
ais'-to-mi-moli'-shin,    "sweet-smelling   prairie  weed," 

Serophularia  nodosa. 
ais'-to-mis-ta'-si-mi-nu',    "the    prickly   berry,"   Riles 

Jllissouriensis. 
o-i-nos',  "  wood  that   grows  in  the  prairie,"  Helian- 

thus  giijanteus. 

moli'-ta-wi-si'-i-otst,  "  black  medicine-weed,"  Liatris. 
ho-e-toli'-o-nost, "  gummy  weed,"  Grindelia  squarrosa. 
mil'i-a-haist',  "bird-weed,"  same  as  the  name  of  a 

bird. 

o'-ta-mi-mi-nost',  "  dog  bush,"  Acer  Pennsylvanicum. 
wi-ski-e'-mi-nu,  "  very  sweet  berry,"  Rulus  striyosus. 
wi-ski-e'-mi-nu6,  red  raspberries, 
ma-cai'-no-was,  the  burrs  of  Glycyrrliiza  lepidota. 
ma-6ai'-no-wa-si-wu',  the  stalk  of  the  last, 
wish-ke',  Populus,  sweet  cottonwood. 
ma-pi'-moh-shin,  "  sweet-smelling  water-weed,"  Mcn- 

tha  Canadensis. 
mili-ni-mi-nust',  so  called  because  the  animals  crush 

the  fruit  with  their  teeth,  Celtis  crassifolia. 
na-ko-is-ta'-tsi-min  "  bear-killer,"    Crateyus  coceineus. 

It  received  its  name  from  the  Indians,  because 

they  say  that  when  the  bears  eat  the  fruit,  it 

causes  them  so  great  pain,  that  they  try  to  tear 

out  their  bowels. 


294 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


CHAPTER     VIII. 

VOCABULARY  OF  THE  SHYENNE  LANGUAGE. 


A. 


above,  e-arn',  above,  overhead, 
abominable,  si'-e-to-wa'-no,  very  mean,  abominable, 
abreast,  e-mo-no'-i-o-tsi-o,  abreast,  in  a  row. 
abstain   from,  e-ni-ni-ta'-mi-ots,  to  abstain  from,  to 

leave  oil  when  one  has  eaten  enough, 
accept,  e'-i-stan,  to  accept  or  take. 
acid,  tsi-wi-ld'-i-nu,  acid, 
acquaint,  e-6l'i'-ta-han,  to  relate  or  acquaint, 
acrid,  e-wi-oli'-i-i-no,  acrid,  sharp  to  the  taste, 
across,  i-ta-ta'-o-mi,  across,  by  a  near  way,  a  cut-off, 
adhesive,  e-pa'-o-yots,  sticky,  adhesive, 
adulteress,  he-im'-i-sa-ni,  an  adulteress. 
afar  off,  ta'-a-is,  i-ha'-is,  ha'-ish,  at  a  great  distance, 

afar  off,  far  away,  a  long  distance, 
after,  ho-oli ',  following  after,  immediately  after, 
afraid,  shi'-i-pais,  to  be  afraid,  to  be  astonished. 

i-mo'-si-o-toli '-ta,  to  be  scared  or  afraid  secretly, 
ni-i-e'-yo,  to  make  afraid  by  talking  to. 
na-a'-hi-yo,  I  am  afraid, 
na-sa'-a-hi-yo,  I  am  not  afraid, 
e-e-po-no'-ma-au,  to  have  fear,  to  be  afraid, 
ago,  o-o-mi'-shi-iv,  long  ago. 
all,  ni-ta'-o,  all,  the  whole. 

ni-ta-a',  all  over,  all  around, 
ho-i-ni'-ta-o,  all  the  world  over, 
alone,  e-ho-wa'-a-haiv,  alone,  single,  unmarried, 
always,  ho-woli'-po-nit,  at  all  times,  at  any  time,  al 
ways. 

and,  ma'-tu,  and,  also. 
annoyed,  in-hu-stun',  bothered,  annoyed, 
any,  nasts-mih'-o-yats,  any  one,  no  matter  who. 
appear,  i-mi'-i-ots,  to  be  visible,  manifest,  appear. 

tsi-me'-i-nis,  to  appear  occasionally,  as  one 
passing  under  a  hill,  or  as  the  sun  through 
clouds. 

arm,  he'-ats,  an  arm ;  na'-ats,  my  arm. 
ni'-ats,  thy  arm. 
he-a-tsi-ni'-wots  (pi.),  arms, 
ma-i-tsi'-nots  (dual  ?),  both  arms. 


e-tsi-non',  the  armpit, 
c-woli'-ci-on,  the  bend  of  the  arm. 
i-ci-na',  the  part  of  the  arm  above  the  elbow, 
ni-hi'-sta-tan,  within  arm's  reach, 
e'-e-wo-ni,  an  armful  of  wood. 
arrive,  i-nili'-o-yots,  to  arrive  at  a  place. 

e-tam-sto'-i-yots,  to  arrive,  and  remain  at  home. 
arrow,  ma,  an  arrow. 

ma-hots'  (pi.),  arrows, 
na-ma',  my  arrow, 
ni-ma',  thy  arrow, 
ascend,  e-i',  to  ascend,  as  a  hill, 
ashes,  pa'-a,  ashes, 
pa-isc',  (pi.) 
o-sta'-pa-a.  (?) 
ask,  ni-midst',  to  beg,  or  ask  of  any  one. 

nili'-o-mist,  to  ask  for  anything, 
assembly,  i-mo-hi'-no-is-to,  an  assembly  of  men. 
astride,  i-tsi'-o-i-ta'-ho,  straddling,  astride. 

i-ni'-sko-na,  to  sit  astride  of  anything, 
at,  nai'-nu,  at  or  to. 
attack,  c'-min-hau,  to  charge  on,  to  attack. 

i-ta'-min-ho-wa'-to,  to  make  an  attack, 
audibly,  mah'-i-hast,  audibly,  with  a  loud  voice, 
aunt,  e'-ha-hi-sto,  to  have  for  an  aunt, 
awake,  tost,  to  awake  from  a  sleep,  to  be  awake, 
awl,  he'-on,  an  awl. 

hc-o-ninst',  pi.  awls. 
na'-tsi-on,  my  awl. 
ni'-tsi-on,  thy  awl. 
axe,  ho-ak',  an  axe. 

ho-oksc',  pi.  axes. 
•     ho'-to,  axe-handle, 
ho-to'-ist,  pi. 

B. 

back,  i-to'-to-nas,  a  crooked  back. 

he-na-on',  upper  part  of  the  back,  across  the 

shoulders, 
tau-ta-ma-inst',  at  or  on  the  back. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


295 


bad,  av-si-wai',  sing, 
av-si-wai'-yo,  pi. 
ho'-i-av-si-wa',  bad  lands. 
ball,  e'-hu-a-si-wa'-to,  to  play  ball  with  the  foot. 

o-ho-ni'-wo-ol'i,  a  ball  club,  with  a  hoop  at  the 

end  to  hold  the  ball  as  it  is  thrown. 
bare,  i-oks'-ti-a,  to  be  bare  of  anything,  as  a  bald  head, 
na-i-kos'-ti-a,  I  am  bare  or  bald, 
ma-i-ni'-a-si-tak,  bare,  as  an  open  prairie  without 

thickets,  or  a  tree  without  leaves, 
i-ma'-tau,  to  become  bleak  or  bare,  as  the  ground 

when  the  snow  disappears. 
beads,  o-ni'-a-wokst,  beads. 

woh-pi'-o-ni'-a-w5kst,  white  beads, 
ma-e-ni'-a-wokst,  red  beads, 
o-ta'-ta-wi-o-ni'-o-wokst,  blue  beads, 
moh-ta'-wi-ni'-o-wokst,  black  beads, 
i-yu-wi-o-ni'-o-wokst,  yellow  beads. 
bean,  mo'-nisk,  (sing.)' 

mo-ni'-ski  (pi.),  beans. 
bear,  nali'-u,  and  na'-ku. 

nah'-u-yo,  (pi.) 

beat,  e-po'-po-no,  to  beat  on,  as  a  drum, 
beaver,  ho'-ma. 

ho-ma'  and  ho-ma-e'-yo,  both  plural  forms,  are 

in  use. 
beard,  i-mi'-ats,  the  beard. 

i-mi-a'-tsi-nah'-to,  beards, 
na-mi'-ats,  my  beard, 
ni-mi'-ats,  thy  beard, 
ni-mi-a'-tsi-num,  dual,  both  your  beards, 
e-hu'-i-mi-ats,  yellow  beard, 
moli -ta'-i-mi-ats,  black  beard. 

bend,  ili-a-ma'-i-yuts,  to  bend,  as  the  body,  forward, 
i-to'-to-na,  to  bend  backwards. 
e-hi-a-ma'-i-yuts,  to  bend  the  head  to  one  side, 
i-sta-won',  outside  of  a  bend, 
mo-mi'-ka-ua-nuts,  to  bend  into  or  around,  as  a 

piece  of  iron, 
e-a-wo'-i-yu-ha,  to  bend  away  with  the  foot,  as 

the  grass  on  the  prairie, 
beyond,  a-stu',  beyond,  over. 

ta-sit-sinst',  more,  beyond,  farther, 
black,  i-muh'-tau,  black. 
VOL.  xir. — 38 


i-moTi'-tau-o-nist,  (pi.) 

i-moli'-ta-wa,  to  make  anything  black  or  dirty, 
na-moli'-ta-wa,  I  make  anything  black  or  dirty, 
ni-moli'-ta-wa,  thou  dost  make  anything  black 

or  dirty, 
i-moli'-ta-wa' -a-no,  they  make  anything  black 

or  dirty. 

bind,  e-oli'-po-o,  to  bind  or  tie. 
nali'-po-o'-isc',  I  bind  or  tie. 
ni-6li'-po-o'-is<?,  thou  dost  bind  or  tic. 
e-oli'-po-o'-isc',  he  binds  or  ties, 
na-oli'-po-o'-is-c'i-non,  we  bind  or  tie. 
ni-oli'-po-o'-is-6i-non,  you  bind  or  tie. 
e-oli'-po-o'-is-di-o,  they  bind  or  tic. 
bird,  wi-kis',  a  bird. 

wi-ksi'-o  (pi-))  birds, 
birth,  i-sta'-ots,  the  birth  of  a  child. 

no-to-mo'-i-notst,  first-born,  if  a  son. 
ma-kos',  the  first-born,  when  a  daughter. 
bite,  c-i'-wo-oli  t,  to  bite  off. 

e-wo'-wo-solit,  to  bite  notches, 
i-ku'-ku-ni-rno,  to  bite  or  tear  anything  in  pieces, 
i-yo-stai'-yu-stot,  to  bite  a  hole  in  anything, 
bitter,  i-av'-si-vi-e'-no,  it  is  bitter, 
nav-si'-vi-at,  mine  is  bitter, 
ni-av-si'-vi-at,  thine  is  bitter, 
bladder,  ili-ai-no'-kuts. 
blanket,  wop'-shi-un,  a  blanket, 
wop-shi'-u-non,  pi. 
na-wop'-shi-un,  my  blanket, 
ni-wop'-shi-un,  thy  blanket, 
na-wop'-shi-u-no'-nam,  my  blankets, 
ni-wop'-shi-u-no'-nam,  thy  blankets, 
mai-wop'-shi-un,  red  blanket, 
e-tai'-i-wom,  dark  blue  blanket, 
mokh'-ta-wom,  black  blanket. 
mo-ku-ta'-wi-ka-ku'-i-shi-5n,  a  blanket  of  fine 

blue  cloth. 

o-ta'-ta-wi-ka-ku'-i-shi-on,  a  blue  striped  blan 
ket, 
mai'-ka-ku'-i-shi-on,  a  blanket  of  fine  scarlet 

cloth. 

o-ta'-ta-wi-is'-ci,  a  blue  coat, 
nis-ko'-um,  a  blanket  of  all  colors,  Spanish. 


296 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 


wop-shi'-un-o-nis,  a  small,  one-point  blanket. 
blaze,  eli'-o-as,  a  blaze,  burning,  prairie  fire. 

eh-o-a-su'-mi,  pi. 
blind,  i'-ok-c"im,  to  be  blind, 
blow,  i-ha'-a,  to  blow,  as  the  wind. 

i-wo'-na-a,  the  wind  blows,  it  blows. 

ili-tai'-na-a,  the  wind  blows  long  and  steady. 

i-sto-woh'-tuts,  to  blow,  as  wind,  or  with  the 
mouth. 

i-a-mi-ni'-to-a-o,  to  blow  into,  as  wind  into  a  lodge. 
blue,  e'-hi-wali-so,  to  become  blue  or  green, 
blunt,  e-nili-ap',  blunt,  dull,  bruised  up. 
boat,  sim,  a  boat. 

sim'-o-nots,  pi. 

o-i-sta'-sim,  a  fire-boat,  a  steamboat. 

body,  nan'-sti-ni'-to-wa,      ) 

>•   the  whole  body, 
he-wi'-to-wa-ni'-to,   ) 

he-wi'-to,  the  body,  or  principal  part  of  anything, 
ta-yoli',  one  side  of  the  body, 
po-to-ma',  in  the  body. 
bone,  he'-ni-ku. 

he'-ni-sta-ta-mo,  shoulder  bone  or  blade. 
his-6is-to'-o,  underjaw  bone, 
his-dis-to'-o-nin,  pi. 
e-ko-ni'-we-was,  the  tail-bone. 
borrow,  is-6i-oc-na-no'-o-6isc',  to  borrow, 
both,  ne'-ni-shi-wos,  both,  they  two. 

i-ta'-i-sto-we,  both  together, 
bottom,  in'-ma-si,  bottom  upwards. 
bow,  ma'-6ik,  a  bow. 
ma'-takst,  pi. 
na-ma'-6ik,  my  bow. 
ni-ma'-dik,  thy  bow. 

ho-tai-wo',  a  bow  lined  on  the  back  with  sinews, 
boy,  kai-kun',  a  small  boy. 
kai-ku'-ni,  pi. 
na-kai-kun',  my  boy. 
ni-kai-kun',  thy  boy. 
na-kai-kun'-ham,  my  boys. 
ni-kai-kun'-ham,  thy  boys. 
braid,  e'-sto-tun-a,  to  plat  or  braid, 
brains,  his-ta'-pi,  brains  of  animals. 

e-shi-sta'-pi,  to  brain  a  robe  or  skin, 
na-shi-sta'-pan,  I  brain  a  robe. 


ni-shi-sta'-pan,  thou  dost  brain  a  robe, 
branch,  kam-lii'-ots,  the  branches  of  a  tree. 

kam-hi'-o-tsi-o'-e-nats,  to  break  off  the  branches 

of  trees, 
hi-si'-o,  branching,  or  having  many  roots,  as  a 

tree, 
bread,  ma-ha'. 

na-mi'-si-tun-a-ma-ha',  I  eat  bread, 
ko-ku'-ko-ne,  a  kind  of  bread. 

break,  o-ni'-so-wan,  to  break  in  pieces,  to  divide  as  bread, 
e'-po-i-yots,  to  break  or  tear  in  pieces, 
ta'-mi-i-sa,  to  break  off,  as  the  nose, 
e-o-ni'-yu-ha,  to  break  a  string  with  the  foot, 
e-i'-u-ha,  to  break  anything  with  the  foot, 
su-a-o-mi'-uts,  to  break  through,  as  the  ice. 
i-yo-si'-o-sto,  to  break  out  of  the  shell,  as  a  bird, 
i-oh'-i-wo-he,  broken  off,  as  a  spoon-handle,  or 

a  glass  flawed. 

i'-yo-6h,  to  break  in  two  by  striking. 
na'-yo-oh,  I,  &c. 
ni'-yo-ol\,  thou,  &c. 
e'-i-yots,  to  break  with  the  hand,  as  a  stick,  but 

not  entirely  off. 
na'-i-yots,  I,  &c. 
ni'-i-yots,  thou,  &c. 

breast,  e-ta-nun',  a  woman's  breast,  the  udder  of  a  cow. 
e-ta-nai'-wo,  pi. 
na-ta-nun',  my  breast, 
ni-ta-nun',  thy  breast, 
he-in',  the  breast  and  neck  of  an  animal, 
breath,  he-o-mi-to'-ini-stots,  the  breath  of  life, 
i'-o-mo-tom,  to  breathe  on. 
e-i'-si-i-i'-mas,  to  breathe  hard  through  the  nose, 
i'-ha-ha-o-tum,  to  pant,  to  breathe  hard  after 

severe  exercise, 
i-ha-o-to'-mi-ots,  to  be  out  of  breath,  and  in  a 

great  perspiration, 
na-he'-o-na-a'-sto-wot,  to  make  the  fingers  warm 

by  breathing  or  blowing  upon  them, 
bridle,  oh-ut'-si-na'-si-o,  a  bridle  for  a  horse, 
bring,  ili-u-yatst',  to  bring  wood  for  a  fire. 

si-mo-i'-no-mo-i,  to  bring  a  boat  to  shore,  or 

over  the  river, 
brood,  ni-si-da',  a  litter,  a  brood. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


297 


broom,  mah'-i-wo-ma-o'-yi. 
brother,  e-ni'-son,  a  brother. 

e-ni'-so-ni-wo  (pi.),  brothers, 
na-ni'-son,  my  brother, 
ni-ni'-son,  thy  brother, 
na-ni',  a  man's  elder  brother, 
na-ta'-ta-mim,  a  woman's  elder  brother, 
na-si-ma',  younger  brother, 
na-hi'-ni-hi'-nots,  my  brothers, 
e'-to,  a  brother-in-law, 
ni-to',  your  brother-in-law, 
he'-wi-to,  his  brother-in-law, 
ni-a-wi'-to-wi'-to-wats,  you  are  my  brother-in- 
law. 

ni-sa'-he-wi-to-he-nits,  you  are    not  my  bro 
ther-in-law, 
he-wi'-tost,  to  have  for  a  brother-in-law,  to 

sustain  that  relation. 

bubble,  e-hi' -si-wot,  to  bubble  up  in  boiling,  as  water, 
i'-a-niv-si-wots,  to  bubble,  or  flow  along  with 

a  noise,  as  water  over  rocks, 
ma-pe-e'-hi-ni-o,  to  make  water  bubble  up,  as 

water  when  a  stone  is  thrown  in. 
buckle,  e-o'-we-me-kait,  brass  buckle, 
bud,  ho-o'-tsi-si'-mi-nots,  the  buds  of  the  trees  in  the 

spring. 
build,  pa-yo'-na-o-wc,  to  build  a   house,  or   pitch    a 

tent, 
ci-na'-no-is-to-he-ni-to,  to  build  a  fence  around 

a  corn-field. 

buffalo,  o-to-a',  a  male  buffalo.     Bos  Americanus. 
mi,  a  female, 
wok-si-ai',  a  calf, 
is'-i-wan,  a  herd  of  buffalo, 
e-mas',  bois  de  vache,  "buffalo  chips." 
i'-yo-iv,  an  old,  scabby,  buffalo  bull. 
bulky,  ta-sis'-to-wo,  to  be  bulky,  to  hinder  or  impede, 

by  putting  on  too  many  clothes. 
bunch,  e-po-pis'-tai-i-na,  bunches,  knots,  excrescences, 

on  trees ;  the  Indians  make  dishes  of  them, 
burn,  i-si-to-wa-o,  to  burn  or  smoke,  as  incense,  with 

a  smell, 
burst,  e'-ni-sta-ni-wa'-wot,  to  make  pop  or  burst. 

o-6h'-i-wo-yat,  to  burst,  as  a  boiler  or  a  gun. 


bush,  mi'-no-6i-a,  willow  bushes, 
button,  o-ni-kom'. 

o-ni-ko'-mo-nots,  (pi.) 

C. 

call,  wi-hu-in'-i-min,  to  call  to  a  meal. 

o-no'-o-mi,  to  call  to  a  feast,  to  invite. 
i-a-no'-ma-6i'-sto,  to  call  each  other  to  a  feast, 
calm,  e'-he-kut,  calm,  still,  without  wind, 
callous,  e'-wo-wi,  any  hard  place  formed  by  a  burn  or 

cut  on  the  skin. 

candle,  wa-ksi'-na-nis-to,  a  torch  or  candle, 
cap,  wi-oh'-6a. 

wi-oh'-c'a-ist,  (pi.) 
carry,  e-mo-he'-he-noh'-to,  to  carry  or  draw. 

e'-ni-a-mi-ots,  to  carry  or  bring  anything, 
mah -pe-i'-not,  to  carry  or  take  on  the  shoul 
der. 

cat,  ka-c-si'-o-tum,  a  cat,  a  short-nosed  dog.      The 
plural  is  formed  simply  by  changing  the  accent 
from  the  third  syllable  to  the  last. 
catch,  i-no-olit',  to  catch  in  the  mouth,  anything  that 

is  tossed. 

cause,  ta-no-onst',  to  cause  to  see. 
chair,  tali-i-si'-is-tuts. 

tali-i-si'-is-to-tuts,  (pi.) 
champ,  ma-kai'-i-ta-i'-ko-not,  to  champ,  as  a  horse  his 

bit. 

chapped,  i-mo-o'-a,  smarting,  chapped  by  the  wind, 
cheap,  c-he'-ya-na,  cheap,  easily  purchased, 
cheek,  e-wo-ta'-nots. 

e-wo-ta'-no-tse-hik,  cheek-bone, 
cherries,  mah-ot-sta'-min,  fruit  of  Cerasus  pumila. 
chewed,  pe-noli'-tots,  anything  chewed  fine,  like  musk- 
rats'  food. 

choke,  i'-o-hoc,  to  choke,  to  be  choked  in  eating, 
na'-o-hoc,  I  was  choked  in  eating. 
ni'-o-ho6,  thou  wast  choked  in  eating, 
clearly,  o-ha-ci'-stuts,  clearly,  conspicuously. 

in-sis'-to-wa-a,  clear  and  cold,  with  particles 

of  snow  in  the  air. 
climb,  e'-i-wo-ni,  to  climb,  as  a  tree. 
close,  ho'-o-sist,  to  be  close  to,  to  press  on. 


298 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND    PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


ke-kas',          ^ 

kae,  >    near  by,  close, 

im'-a-e-kas',   ) 

cloth,  ni-na-wo'-i-stiits,  clothing  of  all  kinds, 
clouds,  e-wo-iv',  to  cloud  over,  to  be  cloudy, 
e-wo-iv',  clouds,  sky,  heaven, 
i-mokh'-tau-wo'-i-yots,  black  clouds. 
wo-i'-ha-i-not,  thick  clouds, 
wo-e-e-he-ni'-wo-ist,  broken  clouds, 
wo-e-e'-a-si-ta,  scattering  clouds, 
en'-i-wo-iv,    the    sky    becoming    black    with 

clouds, 
coffee,  moh'-ta'-whop,  black  water,  or  medicine  coffee. 

rna-ta'-o-ki-rui-nuts,  coffee-grains. 
coil,  o-ni'-mo-ta'-o-to-nots,  to  coil  or  knot  by  twisting, 
ruo-me'-ka-no-ni-a'-nuts,  to  coil  up,  as  a  rope, 
e-o-ni'-sta-c'is,  to  lie  coiled  up  on  one's  side, 
collect,  i-ho'-sun,  to  collect  together. 
cold,  i-to-nit',  to  be  cold. 
come,  ni'-ni-o-tsi-o,  come  (imperative  mood). 
o-hurn',  come  close. 

ni-ni'-o-ist,  come  towards,  come  this  way,  (imp.) 
na-ni'-o-tsitst,  I  come  in  a  hurry, 
ni-ni'-o-tsitst,  you  come  in  a  hurry, 
e-ni'-o-tsitst,  he  comes,  or  to  come  in  a  hurry, 
ni'-ni-ats,  come  on,  let  it  be  so,  (imp.) 
ui-is'-taks,  come  in,  (imp.) 
nm'-shi-wi-ost,  come  here  quickly,  (imp.) 
ni-wa'-i-si'-ni-i-ko,  to  come  and  peep  in   and 

then  draw  the  head  back, 
he-wi-no'-wo-tau-iitst,  to  come  towards  one. 
comb,  tsi-i-ni'. 

tsi-i-ni'-he-yo,  (pi.) 
i-tsi-i-ni'-a,  to  comb  the  hair, 
commit,  hc-wi-no'-nun-o-ho'-ni,  to  commit  murder, 
comrade,  ni-si-ma-ha',  ray  comrade, 
he-wi'-so-no,  thy  comrade, 
concave,  i'-wo-wos,  hollowed  out,  concave, 
concealed,  ni'-ha-mos,  out  of  sight,  behind  something, 

concealed. 
cook,  i-ho-moli'-to-wo,  to  cook,  as  food. 

e'-l'mt,  to  be  cooked  or  roasted,  as  meat, 
copper,  ma-i-ma-kai'-it,  copper,  red  metal. 


corn,  ma-mi'-nuts. 

ho-o'-tsi-mi-nu,  cornstalk, 
ho-ots',  an  ear  of  corn. 
ho-6tsts'  (pi.),  oars  of  corn, 
ma'-mi-nu-tsi-o-i'-mi-nist,   to    shell   off    as    corn 

with  the  hands. 
corral,  ni-ma-i'-nuts,  the  circle  or  corral  formed  by 

wagons  at  a  camp, 
covering,  e-wi'-shi-main,    covering,  as  clothes   or   a 

sheath, 
ali-to-ho'-ma-i-nats,  to  be  covered  up  with 

earth, 
i-a'-to-ho,  to  cover  over  with  earth,  as  a 

grave. 
in-i-in'-i-olit,  to  be  covered  with  frost,  as 

grass  in  the  morning, 
cough,  i'-hi-a,  he  coughs,  or  to  cough. 
na'-hi-a,  I  cough, 
ni'-hi-a,  you  cough, 
count,  o-is-to'-nist,  to  count, 
court,  e-sta-ni-e'-wa,  to  court  a  woman. 

e-sta-ni-e'-wah-to,  (pi.) 
cousin,  ni-sis',  your  male  cousin. 
crack,  a'-po-at,  a  crack  or  hole,  as  in  a  lodge. 

i-o'-sin,  to  crack  a  louse. 

crawl,  he-eT-a-mist,  to  crawl  up  carefully  on  anything. 
creak,  he-ni'-to-e-ni'-sto-ni-wun,  to  creak  or  grate,  like 

a  door. 

creep,  i-a-mi'-wo-minst,  to  creep  or  crawl, 
ta-mi'-wo-minst,         "  " 

i-a'-uie-wu'-ne-ots,  to  creep  on. 
crisped,  e-hi'-se-maut,  crisped  or  drawn  up. 
crooked,  e'-woli,  to  be  crooked,  arched. 

e-wo-wo'-kit-si-un,  crookedly,  in  an  arched 

manner, 
cross,  i-oh'-o-ho,  to  cross  a  river. 

i-ta'-ko-ho,  to  wade  across  a  stream, 
a-mi-sta'-nots,  crosswise,  across  something  else. 
crumbs,  mo-es'-te-plh' -pi-ots,  crumbs  or  fragments, 
crupper,  holi -i-si'-ni-o. 

hGli-i-si'-ni-o-nr.ts,  (pi.) 
crush,  i-so'-so-is,  to  mash,  or  crush. 

mih'-ni-min,  to  crunch,  crush,  grind,  champ, 
to  make  a  noise  with  the  teeth. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


299 


i-po-i-ha',  to  break  or  crush  in  pieces,  as  meat 

or  tallow. 

na-po-i-ha',  I  break,  &c. 
ni-po-i-ha',  thou  breakest,  &c. 
i-po-i-ha'-o,  they  break,  &c. 
cry,  ni-oli'-ai-im,  to  make  cry,  by  talking  to. 
cup,  to-i-ni'-o. 

to-i-ni'-o-nots,  (pi.) 

to-i-ni'-o-ni-wi-tok,  a  cup  with  a  handle,  dipper, 
curl,  im'-a-ma-kai,  to  curl,  as  hair. 

ma-mali-ai-e',  curly, 
currants,  he-sta-tsi'-rnin,    black    currants,    Riles  flo- 

ridum, 
curtain,  ni-i'-psi-no'-i-nuts,  to  curtain,  or  cover  with  a 

curtain, 
cut,  c-ih',  to  cut. 

e-wo-ili',  to  cut  off  a  string  from  a  skin. 

e-pi-ili',  to  cut  in  pieces,  to  destroy  with  a  knife. 

c-po-ih ',  to  cut  off,  as  a  piece  of  meat. 

i'-o-tali,  to  cut  holes  in  anything  with  a  knife. 

i-o'-sis,  to  cut  or  rip  open. 

i-o-ta'-o-mo,  to  cut  a  hole  into,  as  in  wood. 

e'-i-so,  to  cut  in  the  middle. 

ho-o-i-ninst',  to  cut  tobacco. 

pi-nol'its',  to  carve,  to  cut. 

e-mi-ko'-yo-kali ,  to  cut  or  shear  off  the  hair. 

D. 
damp,  e-hi'-ko-o,  damp. 

e-yo'-i-yats,  to  be  moist  or  damp, 
dance,  e-mal'i'-ta-a,  a  dance, 
e-mah'-ta-o,  to  dance, 
ma-mah'-ta-o,  I  dance, 
ni-mali'-ta-o,  you  dance, 
i-mi-tali'-to,  they  dance, 
i-o-so'-i-to,  to  dance  on  anything, 
i-ma-yun'-i-so'-i-sto,  a  sacred  dance, 
e-ho'-i-o-ci'-sto,  a  scalp  dance.     When  the  In 
dians  arrive  at  the  camp  with  scalps,  they 
come  in  dancing. 

c-a'-cis-to,  a  regular  scalp  dance.    This  dance 
is  conducted  among  the  Shyenncs,  the  same 
as  with  the  Dakotas. 
dark,  i'-a-no-nit,  to  be  dark,  darkness. 


in-sta-c'-wi-6ts,  to  become  dark, 
i'-shi-ta-e'-wi-ni,  to  darken,  to  shadow  as  clouds, 
daughter,  he'-mi. 

na-ton',  my  daughter, 
day,  i'-shi-i-wa. 

i-shinst'  (pi.),  days. 

i'-shi-iv,  all  day. 

si-to'-shi-iv,  the  middle  of  the  day. 

e-pa-wi-i'-shi-o, 


e-pa-wi-i -slu-o,         ) 

.  ,      ,...,,.        \   »  good  day. 

i-hav -si-vi-i -sht-o,    ) 


i-shi-ni-pit'-siv,  a  snowy  day. 
i-shi-i-wai'-i-hi-ko,  a  rainy  day. 
i-shi'-hi-kot,  a  mild,  calm  day. 
c-i-to'-iv,  dusk,  between  sunset  and  dark, 
in-i-wo'-o-ni-yots,  day  breaking,  daylight, 
e-ho-so'-wo-ma-no,  broad  daylight,  full  light. 
dead,  ho-wa-tsi'-e-wish. 

i-na'-i-yots,  to  be  dead, 
debilitated,  i-ha-mu'-ta,  sick,  debilitated. 

i-ha-mu'-ta-yo,  (pi.) 
December,  e-po-iv'-si-o,  the  month  when  the  animals 

shed  their  horns, 
deep,  i-ha'-o-tum,    deep   as   water,  dense   as  foliage, 

thick  as  hair. 

ho-i-ta'-is,  deep,  far  within, 
deer,  mu-ksa',  young  deer  or  fawn. 

mu-ksa'-o-iv,  a  fawn  or  deerskin, 
defecate,  he-mats',  to  defecate.  • 

defective,  wi'-shi-to-nost,  to  be  defective,  wanting. 
deformed,   e-noli-ni-ka,    deformed,    deficient   in    any 

part, 
demijohn,  i-shi-i'-wi-to,  a  large  bottle. 

na-niv'-sit,  a  glass  bottle, 
descend,  e-ha'-ni-wo-ni,  to  descend  from  a  tree, 
desert,  toh-to'-a,  a  desert  place  where  no  one  dwells, 
destitute,  i-sa-a'-i-nu,  to  be  destitute,  to  have  nothing 

of. 

na-sa-a'-i-nu,  I  am  destitute, 
ni-sa-a'-i-nu,  thou  art  destitute. 
i-sa-a'-i-nu'-i-nu  (pi.),  they  are  destitute. 
dew,  e-hi-ko-wi'-ni-o. 

i-ma-hi'-ko-wi'-ni-o,  dewy  everywhere, 
diaphragm,  he-to'-nish,  the  diaphragm  of  a  deer. 
die,  ni-in'-a,  to  die. 


300 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


na-ni'-na,  I  die. 

ni-ni'-na,  you  die. 

i-na'-tea-ta-no'-ats,  to  die  of  fright,  to  faint  from 

alarm. 

different,  i-ni'-ta,  he  is  or  to  be  different,  another, 
na-ni'-ta,  I  am  different, 
ni-ni'-ta,  thou  art  different, 
i-ni'-tai-yo,  they  are  different, 
na-ni'-tam,  we  are  different, 
ni-ni'-tam,  you  are  different. 
difficult,  i-ho'-wa-nat,  hard  to  do,  difficult. 

i-ho'-to-wa'-na-ton,  to  think  anything  hard 

or  difficult. 

dig,  ma-a'-ko,  to  dig,  as  a  bear,  in  the  earth. 
diminished,  sik-sta'-ots,  less,  diminished. 
dip,  ni'-hi-a-ta-i-na'-nuts,  to  dip  food  out  of  a  kettle 

with  a  ladle, 
dirty,,  im-a-si'-a-hot,  to  be  dirty,  as  a  gun  that  needs 

cleaning, 
disagreeable,    e'-wo-ev,  unpleasant,  disagreeable,  as 

the  appearance  of  the  weather  or  country. 
dish,  e-tok',  a  dish  or  plate. 

e-to'-ko-nots,  (pi.) 

disposition,  non-to-wi'-ta-no-tuls,  mind,  will,  disposi 
tion. 

shu-mi'-a-tu-a,  a  good  disposition, 
shu-mi'-hav-sus,  a  bad  disposition. 
.      i-ta'-ko-wi-ni-hav'-siv,  to    be  of  a   surly- 
disposition. 

displeased,  e-av'-si-vi'-tan,  to  be  sorry,  displeased,  sad. 
dispute,  i-hi'-si-ta'-tsi-no,  to  dispute  about  anything, 
dissatisfied,  o-wa-no'-isc',  not  pleased  with, 
distribute,  wo-tsi'-no-o-wa,  to  distribute. 

wo-tsi'-no-ho-ma-kis,  the  distributor  of  pre 
sents, 
disturbed,  i-ha'-i-sta,  disturbed  in  mind. 

i-ha'-i-sta'-ha-6ts,  (pi.) 
dog,  ho'tum. 

ho-tuin'  (pi.),  only  change  of  accent  to  form  the 

plural. 

ho-tum'-i-na-tots,  my  dog. 
ho-tum'-i-nis-tots,  your  dog. 
domestic,  wi-o-i-o'-to-a,  domestic  cattle, 
ko-ku'-yaii,  domestic  fowls. 


e-nis-ton',  to  tame,  to  domesticate  animals, 
na-nis-ton',  I  tame,  &c. 
ni-nis-ton',  thou  dost  tame,  &c. 
door,  he-ni'-to,  a  door,  that  which  covers  the  entrance 

of  the  lodge. 

ci-hi'-to-hi'-o-niv,  at  the  door, 
ho'-a-nots,  shut  the  door, 
o-ni'-sta-nuts,  open  the  door. 

double,  mo-mi'-ka-nots,  to  double  up  with  the  teeth. 
draw,  e-nih-o'-ta,  to  draw  tight,  as  a  belt  around  the 

waist. 
c'-si-a-not,  to  draw  in  anything  with  the  breath, 

as  dust  or  smoke, 
dream,  e'-o-wali,  to  dream, 
na'-o-wali,  I  dream, 
ni'-o-wali,  thou  dream  est. 
i'-o-wah,  he  dreams, 
na-o-wali'-i-nam,  we  dream, 
i-o-wali'-i-nam,  you  dream, 
i-o-wali'-i-na-to,  they  dream, 
e-o-wali'-i-na-o,     "         " 
dress,  ho'-is-tots,  a  woman's  dress. 

he-i-wo'-is-tots  (pi.),  all  dresses, 
he-i-ma-ni-he-wo-is-tots,   dresses    of   an    her 
maphrodite. 

dried,  ho-oh'k',  dried,  hard, 
drive,  a-ma'-o-me,  to  drive  along,  as  cattle, 
drop,  e'-hi-ots,  to  drop,  like  rain, 
drowned,  im-im-stan',  to  be  drowned, 
drunk,  in-o-no'-to-wa-sish,  to  be  drunk, 
dry,  i'-o-un,  to  make  dry,  to  wipe  dry. 
dull,  e'-nih'-ap,  to  be  dull  or  blunt. 
dumb,  i-sa'-no-to-wins'-ci,  to  be  dumb, 
duodenum,   his-tatst',  the  duodenum  of  ruminating 

animals. 

his-ta'-tots,  (pi.) 
dust,  hi'-i-pin,  dust,  powdered  earth. 

E. 

each  one,  i-ta-shi'-wa-i-no,  each  one,  every  one. 
ear,  sto-wo'-ats,  external  car,  ear  of  animals. 

i-sto-wo'-ats,  his  ear,  or  an  ear. 

na-sto-wo'-ats,  my  ear. 

n i-sto-wo'-ats,  your  car. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY. 


301 


ni-nili'-a-ist-na-to-wo'-ats,  my  two  ears,  both  my  ears, 
na-sa'-to-wo'-ats,  not  my  ears, 
ni-sa'-to-wo'-ats,  not  thy  ears, 
i-sa'-to-wo'-ats,  not  his  ears. 
e-o-ma'-6ts,  to  prick  up  the  ears,  as  a  horse  at  a  sound. 
e-c"i'-6i-ist,  to  move  the  ears,  as  a  horse, 
i-nis-kis-ta'-ots,  to  put  the  ears  forward,  as  a  horse, 
i'-o-ta-ist,  the  orifice  of  the  ear,  the  touchhole  of 

a  gun. 

eat,  i-na'-so-i-no,  to  be  full  from  eating, 
na-na'-so-i-no,  I  am  full  from  eating, 
ni-na'-so-i-no,  thou  art  full  from  eating, 
i-na'-so-i-na'-sto,  they  are  full  from  eating, 
o-tsi-ti'-mi-o,  to  eat  or  gnaw  wood,  as  a  horse, 
stah'-o-mats  (imp.),  give  to  eat. 
nih'-o-nist  (imp.),  give  me  to  eat. 
earth,  i-ho'-wo-ni,  brown  earth. 

ho-i-tsi-woli '-po-mau,  sweet  earth,  alkaline  earth, 
ho-i-tsi'-si-to'-wa-o,  smoking  or  burning  earth, 

from  the  ignition  of  the  lignite  beds, 
ish-i-ci'-wi-to,  an  earthen  pot,  vessel,  jug. 
egg,  wo'-wots. 

wo'-wo-tots,  pi. 

eldest,  e-nu'-6i-ma-ait,  eldest,  firstborn, 
na-ni'-ci-ma-ait,  my  eldest. 
ni-ni'-di-ma-ait,  thy  eldest, 
ni-ni'-ci-ma-ai'-tum,  pi.  your  eldest. 
elope,  i-a'-si-ta-e'-wi,  to  elope,  to  run  away  with  a  wo 
man,  or  another  man's  wife, 
eloquent,  i-pi'-wi-ist,  to  be  eloquent,  to  speak  well, 
empty,  i-ma'-toh -i-yots,  to  become  empty,  to  decay,  as 

the  inside  of  a  tree. 
encampment,  moli-tanst',  an  old  encampment,  after 

the  lodges  have  left. 

enemies,  i-no'-tsi-to-wa-ci'-sto,  those  who  are  at  vari 
ance  with  each  other. 
equal,  6it'-ski,  not  equal. 

escape,  i-ha'-o-mi-ni,  to  be  unable  to  escape,  to  be  una 
ble  to  extricate  oneself, 
evacuate,  i-tam'-si-ka,  to  evacuate,  to  ease  oneself. 

e-mi-si'-to,  to  evacuate  on  any  one,  a  term  of 

reproach. 

evaporate,  e'-po-no-i,  as  when  a  creek  becomes  dry. 
even,  i-si'-i-sto-to,  even,  just,  exactly. 


explain,  tali-ti-i'-a-mo-un,  to  unfold,  explain,  to  make 

bare,  as  a  falsehood. 
eye,  e-ili-anst',  the  eye. 

na-ili-anst',  my  eye. 

ni-ih -anst',  thy  eye. 

e-ih'-ai-i-wots,  pi. 

e-we'-e-not,  eyebrow. 

e-ih-a'-e-wi'-a-nut,  eye-winker. 

e-ili-a'-e-wi-a-ni'-a-stuts,  eyelids. 

e-po-pi-ili'-a-nist,  the  ridge  bone  above  the  eye. 

is-6ik'-o-niv-ili'-a-mst,  projection  formed  by  the 
ridge  above  the  eye. 

shi'-ta-sho-toh,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach. 

i-o'-ki-ni-o-sti'-no,  to  strike  and  put  out  the  eye. 

i-o'-i-nu-na'-wi-ma'-tsin,  to  grow  blind. 

i'-ha-i-ma'-tsi-ni-ots,  to  wink  the  eye. 

i-o-o'-in,  to  be  blind,  having  the  eyes  put  out. 

c-wo-hin',  to  be  blind,  with  the  eyeball  white. 

i-o-ni'-mi-i-kan,  to  be  squint  or  cross-eyed. 

i-noli-ta'-wi-o-in,  to  be  nearsighted. 

i'-na-ko-o,  to  be  clearsighted. 

F. 

fail,  e'-wa-ni-ots,  to  come  to  nothing,  to  fail, 
fall,  e'-o-hain,  to  let  anything  fall. 

in-so'-ta-mo,  to  fall  out  with,  not  to  be  on  speak 
ing  terms  with, 
falsifier,  i-a-sto-moli'-ta-un,  a  great  liar. 

in-i-c"i-hi'-o-niv,  to  fabricate  a  lie,  to  falsify 

about  one. 
fat,  i-ha'-i-yom. 

i-ha-i-yo'-mi-o,  (pi.) 
father,  he'-hu ;  ili  is  sometimes  used, 
na-ho'-i,  my  father, 
ni-ho'-i,  thy  father, 
ni-he'-he-nuts,  to  have  a  father,  to  be  the  child 

of  any  one. 

he-nim-shim,  his  father-in-law, 
na-nim-shim,  my  father-in-law, 
ni-nim-shim,  thy  father-in-law, 
he-ni'-sa-na-mon,  a  man's  stepfather. 
feast,  ma-he-yun'-hop,  a  sacred  feast. 

ma-he-yun'-baist,  to  make  a  sacred  feast. 


302 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY    AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 


fence,  i-ni-po-o',  to  fence  as  a  field,  to  fasten  or  bolt, 
na-ni-po-o',  I  fence,  &c. 
ni-ni-po-o',  tliou  dost  fence,  &c. 
ferment,  po-a-ha'-i-nis-tuts,  to  ferment,  as  yeast. 
field,  i-na-no'-is-tuts-tsi-mo'-na,    a    new   field,   one    in 

which  there  is  a  new  crop, 
no-ni-na-no'-is-tuts,  an  old  field,  where  the  crop 

has  been  removed. 

fight,  pi-so-mi'-o-tats,  to  fight  over  anything, 
file,  wi-o-yo-ksi'-im,  a  file. 
finger,  na-ni'-so-to-yos,  the  fore  finger, 
na-no'-to-yos,  the  second  finger, 
na-so'-to-yos,  the  third  finger, 
na-to-oli'-i-yos,  the  fourth  or  little  finger, 
na-to'-a-no-ni-mo'-i-yos,  finger  nails, 
finished,  i'-shi-tna-nisc,  to  be  done,  finished. 
fire,  ho-ist'. 

ho-i'-stats,  (pi.) 
na-to'-ist,  my  fire, 
ni-to'-ist,  thy  fire, 
na-to'-is-tam,  my  fires, 
ni-to'-is-tam,  thy  fires. 

his-to-is-ta'-mi-wo,  different  fires  of  other  people, 
e'-no-si-sto'-wo,  burning  coals, 
ho-sta'-wi-no,  a  firebrand, 
ho-i-sta'-wa,  in  the  fire. 
i-ha-ha'-i-si,  sparks  of  fire. 
i-no-to-wa'-6tst,  to  extinguish  the  fire, 
e'-nu-to,  there  is  no  fire, 
ai-sto-a-si-na-nis'-tuts,  a  fireplace,  a  chimney, 
ma-kai'-tai-sto-a-si'-na-nis-tuts,  a  stove  or  iron  fire 
place, 
ih-o-wa',  to  draw  near  and  warm  oneself  by  the 

fire. 

first,  ni-i-ni'-ta,  at  the  first. 
fish,  no'-mah. 

no-man',  pi. 
no-no-no',  a  fish-line, 
no-ma'-he-mik,  fish-head, 
no-maik'-sun,  small  fish, 
no-ma'-he-hik,  fish-bones, 
ma-i-tsa-non',  red-fin,  a  kind  offish, 
hc-to-to',  a  crayfish. 


fit,  i-tai'-ist,  to  cause  to  fit;  to  fit  well,  as  a  bullet  in  a 

gun. 

na-i-tai'-ist,  I  make  it  fit  well, 
flank,  his-tsi-to'-ni,  the  flank  of  an  animal, 
flat,  i-kali'-o-no,  to  make  flat,  like  a  board, 
flesh,  he-ma'-e,  flesh  that  clings  to  a  skin, 
flimsy,  e-hi'-sis,  flimsy,  not  firm ;  elastic. 

e-hi'-si-so-ni'-o,  pi. 
float,  e'-i-wo-it,  to  float  along,  as  on  the  water. 

in-o-mo'-i,  to  float  down  a  stream,  to  drift  by  the 

wind  as  a  leaf, 
i'-pi-no,  to  rise  to  the  surface  and  float,  as  on 

water. 

flood,  i-ya-mi-6li-whit'  (last  syllable  pronounced  strong 
ly),  to  flood  with  water, 
flow,  in'-shi-wit,  to  flow  or  run,  as  water. 
fly,  i-ya'-mi-ha-ots,  to  fly,  as  birds. 
foam,  e'-ta-wo-niv-6m',  to  froth  or  foam,  as  when  any 
thing  is  thrown  into  the  water. 
fog,  ma-i-ni'-ni-po-is,  to  become  foggy,  as  when  a  white 

fog  arises,  and  obscures  the  sky. 
fold,  e'-i-mits,  to  fold  up  the  arms. 
foliage,  i-ha-i-wih'-pot-siv,  dense  foliage. 
follow,  e-ta-ni'-hi-ot,  to  follow  after  anything. 

ta-ni-he-whi'  (the  last  syllable  strong),  to  fol 
low  after  one  is  gone,  to  pursue  an  enemy. 
food,  e-mi'-sa. 

foolish,  im-a-sa'-ni-o,  foolish,  to  be  foolish. 
foot,  ma'-is,  a  foot, 
na'-is,  my  foot, 
ni'-is,  thy  foot, 
ma-hai'-sots  (pi.),  feet, 
no'-tsi-ma-is,  another  man's  foot,  the  foot  of  a 

man  of  a  different  nation, 
mo-mah'-a-ta,  a  large  foot, 
ha-po'-si-wa,  a  crooked  foot, 
wa-ni-sa'-ta,  the  feet  turn  out. 
wo-woh'-ca-ta,  feet  with  the  toes  turned  in. 
po-pe'-ha-ta,  the  ball  of  the  foot, 
to-tam'-ha-ta,  foot  with  no  toes. 
hau-o-no'-is-cist,  big-heeled  foot, 
tots-ki-c'is'-to-na,  small-heeled  foot, 
o-iv'-ha-ta,  scaly  foot. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OP   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


303 


forbid,  he-wi'-no-e'-wi-ho-ist,  to  forbid  one's  house,  to 

prevent  persons  from  coming  in. 
forget,  e-wa-ni'-ta-nut,  he  is,  or   to   be  forgetful,  to 

forget. 

na-wa-ni'-ta-nut,  I  forget. 
ni-wa-ni'-ta-nut,  thou  dost  forget. 
forked,  i-ni'-so-wa-ats,  forked,  as  a  stream. 

i-ni'-sko-nat,  forked,   as   a   stick ;    a   stream 

double  or  forked, 
i-ni-sko-na'-wi-wo-ton,  a  forked  tail,  as  of  a  fish 

or  martin. 

foundation,  i'-wa-ha,  a  foundation,  a  place  to  stand  on. 
fracture,  e-o-ta'-ni-os-to-no,  a  fracture,  wound,  rent, 
freeze,  i-o-ma'-o-mot,  to  freeze  over,  as  ice  on  the 

river. 

e'-ko-noht,  stiff,  hardened,  frozen, 
o-tse'-to-e'-ko-no-si-o,  wood  when  hardened  by 

frost,  frozen, 
friend,  ho'-wa. 

he-wi'-so-nist,  to  have  for  a  special  friend. 
e-na'-no-wa-cV-tom,    to    be    friendly,    to    be 

friends. 

nis-in',  your  friend, 
full,  i-o-to'-mo-in  (adjective), 
i-o'-to-mot,  to  be  full. 

i-na'-so-i-no,  to  be  full  or  satisfied,  as  with  food, 
i-sa-i-na'-su-i-non,  not  full,  empty  as  to  the  sto 
mach. 

G. 

gap,  i-to-wo'-i-yo'-i-sats,  to  gap,  to  break  out  a  piece 

from  the  blade  of  an  axe. 
gather,  ma-i-ni'-nuts,  to  gather  up. 
gentle,  i-o-wan'-ha  (adjective), 
girl,  he-i'-kai-kun,  a  small  girl. 

he-i'-kai-ku'-ni,  (pi.) 
girth,  o-tu  tai'-shi-o,  a  girth. 
give,  i-ta'-mit,  to  give. 

o-wa-he'-wi-i-stuts  (imp.),  give  it  to  me,  let  me 

have  it. 

glad,  i-a'-i-yo,  to  be  glad,  thankful, 
glisten,  i'-o-ha-se,  to  glisten, 
glove,  na-to'-a-e-ni'-wo-a-na'. 

VOL.  xii. — 89 


gnaw,  ili'-i-wa-nots,  to  gnaw  on. 
go,  tai'-i-munst,  to  go  off  on  a  journey, 
ta-no-inst',  to  go  together, 
ta-mi-o-nanst'-st,  to  go  before  to  break  the  road, 
tau-akst',  to  go  out  of  doors, 
he-um',  to  go  up,  to  ascend. 

wi-tsin',  to  go  directly  to  anything  without  a  me 
dium. 

6h-ta'-tau-wo-wo'-ist,  to  cause  to  go  before. 
e-ho-i-wi'-o-6i-sto,  to  go  on  a  war  party, 
e-ni-so-wa'-o-hi-yo,  to  go  different  ways,  separately, 
a-stu'-ta-tsi-otst,  to  go  beyond,  or  over  a  hill,  or 

any  place, 
ta-ot'-sti-ta'-no-otst,  to  go  home  and  lie  down  to 

sleep, 
no-no'-to-ha-ninst,  to  take  one's  all  and  go  away 

and  live  in  another  place. 
ta-si'-6sc,  go,  (imp.) 
i-tau',  go  out,  (imp.) 
tau-wakst,  go  away,  or  go  out,  (imp.) 
gold,  wi-ho'-ni-ma-kai'-i-ta-tsi'-i-ho,  yellow  iron, 
good,  e-pi-whai'-sto,  a  "  heap"  good,  very  good, 
e-po'-pi-wha'-e-wi-son,  goodness,  kindness, 
grab,  i-si-va'-i-ni,  to  grab  at,  to  catch  at,  as  at  a  per 
son. 
i-6i'-o-si-ots,  to  seize   or  grab  at,  as  a  fish  in 

water,  or  a  fly. 
grandchild,  nih'-a. 

na-nili'-a,  my  grandchild, 
ni-nih'-a,  thy  grandchild. 
grass,  mo-is6',  grass,  herbs,  hay. 

e-si'-i-ho-nuts,  grass,  roots,  &c. 
wa-not',  gray  grass  or  herbs, 
mali'-e-wa-ma-ots,  clear  of  brush  or  long  grass, 
e-oli-o-si'-o-ta-tau,  green,  like  grass. 
graze,  e'wi-nots,  to  graze,  as  cattle. 
grease,  urn  (noun). 

e'-ko-ma-nots,  to  grease  over  anything. 
great,  tsi-nia-ha'-a,  great,  large. 

tsi-ma-ha'-o-ist  (pi.) 
ground,  ho-ev',  on  the  ground, 
grouse,  wa-ko-yis',  a  sharp-tailed  grouse. 

wa-ko-yis'-i-ma'-is,  the  feet  of  the  sharp-tailed 
grouse. 


304 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


wa-ko-yis'-is-<5i-wa-to-nis<!,  the  tail  of  the  sharp- 
tailed  grouse, 
wa-ko-yis'-e-min,  the  wing  of  the  sharp-tailed 

grouse. 
wa-ko-yis'-i-mi-k,  the  head  of  the  sharp-tailed 

grouse. 

gun,  ma-ai-tun,  a  single-barrelled  gun. 
ma-ai-tun-o'-ist,  (pi.) 
na-ma-ai'-tun-o,  my  gun. 
ni-ma-ai'-tun-o,  thy  gun. 
nih'-ut-si-na'-wo,  a  double-barrelled  gun. 
to-no-wo',  a  rifle-gun. 

mali-i-mai'-i-tun-o,  a  long,  iron  gun,  a  cannon, 
no-tal'i'-i-wo,  a  musket,  a  soldier's  gun. 
tsi'-ma-ha-is-cis-to-not,  breech  of  a  gun. 
o'-to-i,  loaded  as  a  gun. 

H. 

hair,  he-i'-wa,  also  he-i'-wos,  hair  of  the  head,  scalp, 
mi'-ko-nots,  the  whole  scalp  with  the  hair, 
noli'-pa-e,  white  head  of  hair, 
he-ho'-wa-e,  yellow  hair, 
ma'-o-wi-sa,  red  hair, 
ok'-ci-a,  thin  hair, 
ma'-ma-ka-e,  curly  hair, 
ha'-is-ta-e,  long  hair, 
clk'-sta-e,  short  hair. 

wo'-his-6i-a,  to  be  bald  on  the  front  part  of  the  head, 
e-ki-i'-wo-to-na,  hair  braided  with  strips  of  otter 

skin, 
e'-wa-wo-to'-nu-stots,  scalp-lock,  on  the  back  o) 

the  head. 

i-o-ko'-tak,  to  cut  hair, 
na-o-ko'-tak,  I  cut  hair, 
ni-o-ko'-tak,  thou  dost  cut  hair, 
i-o-ko-ta'-ki-o,  they  cut  hair, 
e'-ni-mo-iv,  a  lock  of  the  hair  on  the  side  of  the 

head  tied  up. 
e'-a-no-no-ish,    to   hang  over,  as  the  hair   over 

one's  face, 
eh-o-wa'-ots,  to  take  the  hair  off  by  rubbing  or 

shaving. 
i-ha-wa'-wi-St,  a  bunch  of  hair  growing  on  the 

inside  of  a  deer's  leg. 


half,  oh,  ta-yOli'. 
hallo,  noli-a',  hallo,  look  here, 
hammer,  ton'-ho-i-nis-tots. 
handsome,  i-pi'-wi-wi-to,  he  is  handsome, 
na-pi'-wi-wi-to,  I  am  handsome, 
ni-pi'-wi-wi-to,  thou  art  handsome, 
i-pi'-wi-to-wah'-to,  they  are  handsome. 
hand,  o-wo-si'-to-yi,  to  raise  the  hand  to  strike. 
handful,  c-to'-si-oli-i-c'is'-i-ots,  a  handful,  what  can  be 

held  in  the  hand, 
hang,  e-ho-is'-6in-ots,  to  hang  from,  to  be  suspended 

from,  as  a  tree. 

haul,  e-mo-he'-na-ninst,  to  haul  or  transport,  as  a  cart, 
i-tam-han',  to  haul  wood  from  a  great  distance. 
haw,    na-ko-is-ta'-tsi-min,    "  bear-killer,"    red    haws. 
The   Indians  say  that  this  fruit  causes  the 
bears  so  much  pain  when  eaten,  that  they 
attempt  to  rip  open  their  bellies, 
e-ta-ni-mi'-nuts,  black  haws. 
head,  mik'k. 

mi'-ko-nots,  (pi.) 
na-mik'k,  my  head, 
ni-mik'k,  thy  head, 
wo-ka-he-mik'k,  a  deer's  head, 
si-to-sta',  top  of  the  head, 
e'-i-ho-wa,  yellow  head. 
e'-ta-pes-6i'-a,  a  big  head. 

i-to-i-no'-hiv-tsi-a,  a  line  running  over  the  middle 
of  the  head,  caused  by  the  parting  of  the 
hair. 

heap,  ha'-is-tu,  a  heap,  a  great  deal,  a  great  many, 
healthy,  na-sa-ha'-ma-to,  healthy,  sound  in  body,  not 

sick, 
hear,  i-ni'-sto-mon,  to  make  one  hear,  or  he  makes  one 

hear. 

na-ni'-sto-mon,  I  make  one  hear, 
ni-ni'-sto-mon,  thou  makest  one  hear. 
i-a'-to-mon'-sto,  they  make  one  hear, 
na-sa-ni'-sto-mon,  I  do  not  hear,  or  make  one 

hear. 

ni-sa-ni'-sto-mon,  you  do  not  hear, 
i-sa-ni'-sto-mon,  he  does  not  hear, 
heart,  hais-cist'. 

hais-cis'-ta-wots,  (pi.) 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


305 


heavy,  i-ha'-a-nun  (adjective). 
heel,  hes-6ist',  the  heel. 

ma-dist'-to-nots,  (pi.) 

na-dist',  my  heel. 

ni-dist',  thy  heel. 

no-tsi'-ma-dist,  the  heel  of  a  person  of  a  strange 

nation. 

helpmeet,   his-to-tsi'-o-nam,  a  helper,  helpmeet,  la 
borer, 
hew,  e-kali-o-no,  to  hew  a  long  log  on  one  side,  and 

then  on  the  other, 
hermaphrodite,  he-i'-ma-ni. 
hiccough,  a-i-so'-wa,  to  hiccough, 
na-i-so'-wa,  I  hiccough, 
ni-i-so'wa,  thou  dost  hiccough, 
i-so-nih'-to,  pi. 

hide,  no'-o-ist,  to  hide  or  conceal, 
high,  ha'-shi-um,  high,  very  high,  lofty, 
hill,  o-ha-ni-no',  piled  up  as  a  hill  or  a  mound  of  stone, 
o-si'-wa-ta-otst,  at  the  hill. 

e'-ta-tak,  country  with  many  hills,  like  Bad  Lands, 
hi-na-it'-sit-a'-wi-o-tum',  what  did  you  see  on  the 

hill? 

hipbone,  ai-si'-tsi-o,  ilium, 
his,  his-di'-ots,  his,  her,  its. 
hiss,  wi-ho-i'-shi,  to  hiss  at,  as  a  dog.     , 
hog,  e-ku'-si-si'-o-tum,  a  sharp-nosed  dog,  pork,  bacon, 
hold,  i-ho-ist',  to  hold  back,  to  withhold,  to  retain, 
hole,  woli,  a  deep  hole. 

ho-i-i'-o-ta-o,  a  hole  in  the  ground, 
i'-o-ta-in,  to  bore  or  make  a  hole  in  anything, 
i'-o-ta-i-sta,  to  make  a  hole,  to  bore  or  pierce  the 

ear. 

e-pin'-o-ist,  full  of  holes,  as  cloth, 
e-wih'-pi-o-in,  holes  in  an  animal's  head,  commu 
nicating  with  the  nostrils. 
hollow,  i-ha'-o-non,  the  hollow  in  the  leg  behind  the 

knee. 

honor,  i-pa'-wo-e,  to  honor,  respect,  reverence. 
hop,  i-ku-ka'-ak,  to  hop  as  a  grasshopper. 
horse,  mu'-i-no. 

mu'-i-no-hum,  pi. 
moli-ta'-o-hum,  a  black  horse, 
moh-ta'-o-hum-i,  pi. 


woh'-po-am,  a  white  horse. 

woli'-po-a-mi-i'-o,  pi. 

i-san'-stai,  a  wild,  prancing  horse. 

ma'-o-wai,  a  bay  or  dun  horse. 

ma-o-wai-i'-yo,  pi. 

mo-e'-i-hai-tu,  a  yellow  or  sorrel  horse,  with  hair 

like  that  of  an  elk. 
moh-ta'-wi-wo'-a-si,   black   and   white   spotted 

horse. 

mo-6i'-nu-a-mis',  a  colt, 
e-ho'-wo-hum,  a  red-haired  horse, 
lia-ma'-no-wa,  a  chestnut  bay  horse, 
i-ta-ni'-hum,  a  stallion, 
i-i'-hum,  a  mare, 
i-i-ham',  pi. 
house,  i-ha'-i-no-no,  a  village,  or  cluster  of  houses  or 

lodges. 

hai-sta-nuh',  council-house.       , 
wi-i-tsi-ma'-yu-nim,  a  church,  a  sacred  house, 
i-noli',  at  the  house,  at  home, 
i-no-di'-o-mi-nu,  away  from  any  house, 
ho-to-ma'-ni-ta-o,  household,  including  persons 

and  things, 
wih'-po-tsi-mai'-yo,   to   make   leaf  houses  or 

booths. 

wili'-po-tsi-mai'-yo-na-to,  pi. 
na-wili'-po-tsi-mai'-yo,  I  make,  &c. 
ni-wili'-po-tsi-mai'-yo,  thou  dost  make,  &c. 
how,  i-to'-ni-ta'-i-ni-6t,  how  far  round,  how  extensive. 
howl,  e'-ho-pits,  to  howl,  as  a  dog  or  wolf, 
hunt,  i-o-mo'-o-ni'-sto,  to  hunt  buffalo,  to  surround  and 

kill,  as  in  a  buffalo  hunt, 
husband,  hi-hum',  a  husband, 
hi-hum'-i-wo,  pi. 
na-i-hum',  iny  husband, 
ni-i-hum',  thy  husband. 


ice,  ma'-om. 

ma-o-minst',  (pi.) 

illiberal,  i-mi'-o-ta-nud,  to  be  stingy  or  illiberal, 
immediately,  e'-i-sak,  suddenly,  immediately, 
inconstant,  sci-wi-i'-o-si-vi-5n,  inconstant,  unchaste, 
ink,  is-ta-ni'-i-hos. 


306 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY  AND  PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


intestines,  ih-ai'-i-man,  the  large  intestines  of  animals, 
iron,  ma-kai'-it. 

ma-ka'-i-tai'-wi-kis,  iron  bird,  humming  bird. 

wi-ho'-ni-ma;kai'-it,  white  iron,  silver. 

wi-ho'-ni-ma-kai'-i-tai'-wo-at,  silver  medal. 

moli'-ta-wi-ma-kai'-it,  black  metal,  iron, 
itch,  i-si-si'-i-nats,  to  have  one's  body  to  itch  all  over. 

J. 

jealous,  e-o'-si-wi'-o-ni,  to  be  jealous,  envious. 
joint,  6i-hu'-na-i'-o-na-as,  joints  of  animals, 
journey,  i-6li'-o-wi-stan,  to  be  journeying  or  travelling, 
ni-wa'-is-ti-oli -o-wi'-stan,  who  is  that  journey 
ing  ? 
jump,  e-ko'-ka-an,  to  jump. 

i'-ka-ak,  to  jump  over,  as  a  horse. 

in-ha',  to  frisk  or  jump  about,  like  a  spirited 

horse. 

i-no'-i-tsi,  to  make  a  jump,  prance  about,  wild, 
o-na-is'-i-an,  to  plunge  or  jump  into  water,  as  a 


frog. 


K. 


kettle,  ma-ai'-ta-to,  a  kettle. 

ma-ai'-ta-to'-o-nots,  (pi.) 

moli -ta'-wi-to,  a  black  kettle,  iron  kettle. 

e-ho'-ni-to,  yellow  iron,  brass  kettle. 

ma'-i-to,  red  iron,  a  copper  kettle. 

W-ni-wi-to,  white  iron,  a  tin  kettle. 

ka-e'-wi-to,  a  kettle  with  a  spout,  a  coffee-pot. 

e-wal'i'-i-ni-to,  frying-pan,  "  pan  with  a  tail." 

tsi-oli-i-wi'-sho-is-to,  gridiron,  cooking-iron. 

is-to'-wo-kuts,  the  ears  of  a  kettle. 

o-ni'-o-na-ti-ni'-ma-o-i,  the  rim  of  a  kettle. 
key,  wi'-o-i-mah,  a  wooden  key. 

ta-ta-ho'-i-yo,  to  turn  a  key,  to  unlock,  as  a  trunk, 
ta-ta-ho'-i-nis-tots,  turning  a  key. 
kick,  oli-ta'-o-wi,  to  kick. 

i-6h -ta'-o-wo,  to  kick  one  or  something, 
i-o-ni'-nili -an,  to  kick  in  pieces, 
kidneys,  ist-si'-tat,  kidneys  of  a  buffalo, 
kill,  e-ha-na'-o-wo,  to  kill  by  pressing  or  lying  on. 
kindle,  e-natst',  to  build  or  kindle  a  fire, 
kinnic-kinnic,  ma-ko'-mi-his,  a  mixture  of  one-fourth 


tobacco  and  the  remainder  the  bark  of  red  osier 
(Cornus),  or  the  leaves  of  the  bear-berry  (Arc- 
tostaphylos  uva-ursi),  dried  and  made  very  fine ; 
used  by  the  Indians  for  smoking, 
kiss,  e'-wo-sim,  he  kisses,  or  to  kiss, 
na'-wo'-siin,  I  kiss. 
ni'-wo'-sim,  thou  dost  kiss, 
e'-wo-sim-a-tsi'-o,  they  all  kiss. 
knee,  en-stan',  kneepan,  patella, 
nan-stan',  my  kneepan. 
nin-stan',  thy  kneepan. 
en-sta'-nio,       \ 
en-sta'-ni-i-wo  ) 

is-tsi'-ma-ni-wa',  between  the  knees  or  feet, 
knock,  i-ha'-ni-o-sto'-no,  to  knock  on  the  head,  to  kill 

or  stun  by  striking, 
he-siv',  the  fleshy  part  of  the  leg  below  the 

knee  of  an  animal, 
knife,  mo'-c'ik,  a  knife. 

na-mo'-cik,  my  knife. 
ni-mo'-6ik,  thy  knife, 
i-mo'-cik,  his  knife, 
mo-takst'  (pi.),  knives, 
na-mo-takst',  our  knives, 
ni-mo-takst',  your  knives. 
knob,  to'-ni-a-hu'-yo,  a  knob,  button,  head  of  a  pin  or 

nail, 
know,  i-he'-ni-in,  to  know. 

ni-ton'-shi-wi,  to  make  oneself  known,  to  tell 
one's  name. 

L. 

lake,  tsi-ma'-o-mo-i,  a  lake, 
lame,  i-no'-ni-kai'-yiits,  to  go  lame,  to  limp. 

i-no'-ni-ka,  lameness. 
large,  im-a-ha'-o,  large,  great  in  any  way. 

na-ma-ha'-it,  I  am  large. 

ni-ma-ha'-it,  thou  art  large. 

im-a-ha'-it,  he  or  it  is  large. 

im-o'-ma-ha-i-ta'-o,  they  are  large. 

i-to'-ni-ta'-o,  how  big  ?  how  large  ? 
last,  hi-stol'i'-is,  the  last, 
lately,  e'-kas,  lately,  very  near,  very  soon. 
laugh,  i'-ho-liats,  to  laugh  at,  to  make  fun,  to  ridicule. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OP   THE   MISSOUKI   VALLEY. 


307 


i'-ha-na'-tum-a-o,  to  laugh  immoderately, 
lay,  i-na'-nuts,  to  lay  anything  aside  or  down, 
lazy,  c-ho'-ni-eist,  lazy,  laziness. 

e-ho'-ni-cis'-ta-o,  pi. 
lead,  wi'-ho-i-ma. 
leaf,  wili'-pots,  a  leaf, 
wili'-po-tots,  pi. 

e-ho-wi'-wili-po-tsi-wat,  when  the  leaves  are  fall 
ing,  dead. 

league,  no-tali'-i-o,  league,  covenant,  communion,  fel 
lowship,  a  church,  society,  community, 
no-tah'-iv-sto,  pi. 

lean,  in-o-wo'-i-yo,  to  lean,  as  one  tree  against  another, 
e-ni'-mi-ot,  leaning,  or  not  perpendicular, 
e-wili '-pu-na,  to  become  poor  or  lean,  as  cattle  in 

the  spring. 

leave,  wi-huh'-i-a-no,  to  leave  the  lodge,  said  when 
the  women  and  children  leave  the  tent,  for  the 
men  to  partake  of  a  feast. 
leech,  wili'-o,  a  leech, 
leeks,  lia-o'-i-tali'-i-wots,  leeks,  onions, 
leggins,  e-woli'. 

e-woli'-to-iv,  and  e-woh -to'-i-wots,  pi. 
lend,  i-ta'-ho-ho,  to  lend,  as  a  horse, 
length,  e-a'-i-sta. 

lie,  e-he'-ni-o,  to  lie  flat  on  the  side,  as  animals  do. 
ho-ta-mi-pau'-o-nast,  to  lie  with  one's  back  to  the  fire, 
i-oli'-tai-in,  to  lie  in  wait,  to  spend  the  night  out, 

while  hunting  or  killing  deer, 
lightning,  i-o-i'-tsi-ots. 
limber,  e-^i-kolit',  to  make  limber  or  pliable  by  biting, 

as  leather. 

lip,  hists ;  nats,  my  lips ;  nists,  thy  lips ;  mats,  his  lips. 
his-cT-ni-o,         -\ 
his-ci'-ni-wots,    j 
i-to'-no-wats,  pouting  lips, 
i-to'-no-wa-tsi'-na-o  (pi.) 
listen,  i-a'-to-wo,  to  listen. 

na-a-toli',  I  am  listening. 
iii-a-toli',  thou  art  listening, 
na-sa-a'-to-wa,  I  am  not  listening. 

'  o 

ni-sa-a'-to-wa,  thou  art  not  listening. 
a-ha-s6i'-ots,  to  listen,  to  hearken  to  or  for  any 
one. 


ni-ha'-to-wots,     ~i 
ni-ha'-to-mo-ni,   j 


you  listen  to  or  for  any  one. 


live,  e-wa-wo-sta'-niv,  to  live  again,  to  return  to  life, 

to  revive, 
im-a-yu'-nim,  to  live  or  dwell  apart,  as  a  woman 

in  her  menses, 
liver,  he,  liver  of  animals. 
lodge,  we'-e;  na'-no-wan,  our  lodge;  ni'-no-wan,  your 

lodge. 

wi'-e-nots  (pi.),  a  good  many  lodges, 
i-to'-wo-ni-sto,  to  build,   pitch,   or   put  up   a 

lodge, 
ho-ha'-mi-wi'-e,  sides  and  roof  of  a    lodge  or 

house, 
wi-e-no'-tsi-ne-shi'-tanst,  on  both  sides  of  the 

tent. 

wi'-i-hc-wi-no',  that  one's  lodge, 
he-wi-no'-tsi-nots,  those  lodges. 
6i-ma'-mo-o-no-wi'-e,  top  of  the  tent  or  lodge, 

hole  where  the  smoke  goes  out. 
si-ma'-mo-wa'-e-hum,  top  of  a  tent,  ridge  of  the 
house,  the  crossing  of  the  top  of  the  poles  of 
the  lodge. 

he-wi'-no-e'-wi-not,  the  pole  of  a  tent  left  stand 
ing,  the  skeleton  of  a  tent, 
si-to-wi-mi'-o-niv,  between  houses, 
na-tai'-wa-si-ots,  from  a  place  or  lodge, 
ni-ni-wa'-si-o-tsi,  to  be  in  a  place  or  lodge, 
e-shi'-yu-nit-liu'-a-tu'-wa-o,  hole   in    the  lodge 

for  the  smoke  to  escape, 
sili-pa-te'-i-ho-nuts,  the  place   in    front  of  the 

lodge,  which  is  fastened  with  pins, 
tsi-wi'-sto-na'-ta-ots,  to  a  place  or  lodge. 
6i-sti'-i-naus,  household,  or  all  the  things  in  a 

lodge. 

wali-tum',  place  opposite  the  door, 
ho-whi',  lodge-poles, 
no-tali'-i-um,  a  soldier's  lodge, 
no-tal'i'-i-um-mi-to'-i-ni-sto,  to  make  a  soldier's 

lodge. 

look,  to-to'-ats,  to  look,  to  look  at. 
no'-tsi-wi'-tots,  to  look  into, 
i-ko'-o-tots,   to  look  with  a  spy-glass,  to  recon 
noitre. 


308 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


o-no'-e-yo-tots,  to  look  upon,  to  have  an  over 
sight. 

e'-i-ko,  to  look  into  a  house. 
a-mo'-o-ma-6is'-tots,  a  looking-glass. 
lose,  e'-ho-nist,  to  lose,  to  have  lost. 

ha'-shi-e-wa'-ni-ots,  to  be  lost,  disappear, 
i-sa'-wo-nish,  not  to  be  lost. 
louse,  s-ta'-im. 

s-ta'-im-i-wo,  (pi.) 
mi-shin,  a  wood  louse. 

M. 

maid,  mah-i-e'-ne,  an  old  maid.  There  is  one  old  wo 
man  among  the  Shycnnes,  who  never  has  had  a 
husband. 

mallet,  to'-o,  an  Indian  stone  mallet. 
man,  wo-stun'. 

wo-stun'-i-o,  (pi.) 

e-wo'-stu-ni-wa-o,  to  have  attained  one's  growth, 

to  have  reached  manhood, 
si-vi-o-nivst-'sh,  a  chief,  a  great  man. 
e-si'-i-o'-tsi-tan,  medicine-man, 
ksu-wa',  a  young,  unmarried  man. 
ksu-wa'-i-he,  (pi.) 
ma-a'-kis,  an  old  man. 
ma-ak'-si,  (pi.) 

ai-ta'-ni-kai-kun,  a  boy  12  or  14  years  of  age. 
mane,  e-ma-ta'-o-in-o-to'-un,  mane  of  a  horse, 
many,  to-nist',  how  many. 

e-tonst'-tanst,  how  many  ?  how  much  ? 
e'-ni-sta-nist,  only  so  many,  only  so  much. 
mark,    to-toli-tsih'-wots,  to   mark,  to   cut  gashes   in 

mourning. 

marry,  e-wi'-stom,  he  marries,  or  to  marry, 
na-wi'-stom,  I  marry, 
ni-wi'-stom,  thou  dost  marry, 
na-wi'-sto-mon,  we  marry, 
ni-wi'-sto-mon,  you  marry, 
e-wi'-sto-o'-mo,  they  marry, 
i-tais'-tsi-im,  he  desires  to  marry,  or  wishes  a 

wife. 

na-tais'-tsi-im,  I  desire  to  marry, 
ni-tais'-tsi-im,  thou  desirest  to  marry, 
i-tais'-tsi-im-i-o,  they  desire  to  marry. 


na-tais'-tsi-im-im,  we  desire  to  marry, 
ni-tais'-tsi-im-im,  you  desire  to  marry, 
im-a-yun'-i-wi-sto-i-ma'-tsin,  to  be  married  ac 
cording  to  the  customs   of  the   whites,  a 
sacred  marriage, 
i-sa-mai'-yun-i-wi'-sto-i-ma'-tsin,  to  be  married 

after  the  manner  of  the  Indians, 
he-na-tau-hai'-nots,  to   be  old  enough  to  be 

married. 

matches,  o-ha-si-ha'-si-o-nots. 
meat,  o-e'-woh-ots,  fresh  meat, 
o-no-woli ',  dried  meats, 
o-no-woli'-o-nots,  (pi.) 
i-ho'-so-tuli'-i-mi'-i-ots,  tainted  meat, 
medicine,  e-si'-i-hav'-si-wats,  red  medicine,  poison. 

tsi-ma-he-yo'-ni-vist,  a  doctor,  or  medicine 
man. 

meet,  i-to'-wi-o-wa'-6is-t6m,  to  meet,  as  persons  travel 
ing-     , 
melt,  i'-ma-tau,  to  melt  or  dissolve  away,  as  snow. 

his-tas'-i'-ma-tau,  the  snow  melts,  or  dissolves 

away. 

i'-holi-pet,  to  fuse  or  melt,  as  metal, 
merciful,  i-shi'-wats-tai'-yo,  merciful,  to  be  merciful, 
middle,  tai'-si-to. 

si-to-wom',  in  the  middle,  midst, 
milk,  ma-tun'. 

ma-tun'-ai-yum,  milk  grease,  butter, 
im-i-ta-so'-a-mi,  thick  milk, 
rna-tun'-a-e'-hi-kun,  hard  milk,  cheese. 
ma-tun'-i-oh'-i-6ts,  hardened  or  frozen  milk, 
wi-ho-i'-o-to-a-ina-ta-na'-nist,  a   cow  that   gives 

milk. 

e-hi'-wo-i-tan-han',  to  draw  milk,  as  from  a  cow. 
mirage,  i-e'-no-nu-hat,  mirage,  glimmering  of  vapors 

in  the  sun's  heat, 
miss,  e'-wo-nish,  he  misses,  or  to  miss  the  road,  to 

wander  and  get  lost. 
na'-wo-nish,  I  miss  the  road,  &c. 
ni'-wo-nish,  thou  dost  miss  the  road,  &c. 
mittens,  i-to'-a,  and  to'-a. 

na-to'-a,  my  mittens, 
ni-to'-a,  thy  mittens, 
i-to-a'-i-wo  (pi.),  their  mittens. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


309 


mix,  he-ko'-ma-o-wo'-tsuts,  to  mix,  as  mortar, 
moccasin,  i-mok'-ci. 

i-mok-ca'-ni-wots,  (pi.) 
na-iaok'-ei,  my  moccasin, 
ni-mok'-ci,  thy  moccasin, 
e  wo-kon',  to  put  tops  on  moccasins, 
molasses,  pa-nu'-i-ha-su'-i-ot. 
money,  mi-ho-ni'-ma-kai'-it. 
moon,  i'-wo-nit,  the  moon  rising. 

i-shi-i'-a-min,  the  moon  passing  over  the  sky. 
i-shi-i'-ta-in,  the  moon  passing  down  into  the 

west. 

morning',  en-i-wo'-ni-ots,  daylight,  dawn  of  morning, 
morose,  shu-mi'-i-whai'-i-sin'-os  (adjective), 
mosquito,  ho'-o-ma. 
mother,  ish'-k. 

na'-ko-e,  my  mother, 
nih'-ku,  your  mother, 
mourn,  i-ali'-ai'-im,  to  cry  or  mourn  for  the  loss  of  a 

child. 

move,  im'-o-ino'-ots,  to  move  about,  moving  about, 
much,  e-wo'-ta-ha',  very  much, 
mule,  a-ki'-i-wa. 

a-ki'-i-wa'-ham,  (pi.) 
musk,  c-ni-si-me'-hast. 
muskrat,  i-yoli'. 

i-yoli'-i-o,  pi. 

mystery,   ina-he'-yo,   mysterious,  medicine,  mystery, 
spiritual.     Anything  that  the  Indians  do 
not  understand  they  consider  supernatu 
ral,  or  "  medicine." 
c-ma-wi'-hu,  Great  Medicine,  Great  Spirit. 

N. 

nail,  is-to'-a-no-ni-mo'-i-o-sun,  the  nails  of  the  fingers 
and  toes. 

c-mi'-si-mi-os,  the  dirt  under  the  finger-nails. 

mi-si'-mi-o-sun,  pi.  form. 

e-ni'-to-i-to'-ni-o,  nails  of  iron,  so  called  because 

first  used  in  a  door. 

naked,  i'-o-is-tos,  naked,  nearly  naked,  poorly  clad, 
near,  kaksh,  near,  near  by,  soon,  presently, 
neck,  di-hu'-na-ot,  nape  or  end  of  the  neck. 

is-ci'-ots,  back  of  the  neck. 


e'-ko-tsi'-na,  by  the  neck. 

is-fi-ots'-to-i-shi,  to  tie  around  the  neck,  as  a  rope, 
needles,  e-ko'-wo-is-tots',  and  wi-ho-ko'-wost. 
nephew,  it-sin'-ot,  his  nephew, 
na-tsin'-ot,  my  nephew, 
ni-tsin'-ot,  thy  nephew, 
na-tsin'-o-ta,  iny  nephews, 
ni-tsin'-o-ta,  thy  nephews. 
nest,  who'-is,  a  bird's  nest, 
never,  i-sa-ho-woli '-po-nit,  at  no  time,  never, 
new,  e-lio-liai'-it. 

mo-ni-ma'-nistst,  to  make  new,  to  renew, 
news,  ni-ni'-o-tsi-is,  to  tell  the  news,  to  take  word  to 

any  one. 

nili -o'-tsi-is,  to  arrive  with  the  news, 
e-hi-oli '-ta-o-wa,  to  bring  word  or  news  to  anyone, 
tai-yoh' '-ta-o-wa,  to  have  gone  to  carry  the  news, 
night,  ta-e'-wa. 

ta-asts',  pi. 

oh-ta'-e-shi-to'-iv,  beginning  of  the  night,  dusk, 
nod,  i-o-a'-wa-e,  to  nod  or  swing  the  head,  as  in  sleep, 
na-wa'-wo-e,  I  nod. 
ni-wa'-wo-e,  you  nod. 
i-a'-wa-i-sto,  they  all  nod. 

he-i-e-tai'-yuts,  to  nod  the  head,  to  bow  to  any  one. 
noise,  i-ha'-i-no-wi'-o,  noise,  clamor,  tumult. 

shi-o-ha'-o-no-as,  a  humming  noise,  bustle, 
hi-ali'-po-ni-ni',  to  make  a  grating  noise  with. 

the  teeth, 
nose,  e'-iv. 

e'-iv-o-ni'-wots,  pi. 

na'-iv,  my  nose. 

ni'-iv,  thy  nose. 

e'-i-ni-ots,  to  wink  the  nose. 

e-he'-e-im,  to  blow  the  nose. 

he-e-em',  the  excretion  of  the  nose. 

e-si-e'-ma-si-ots,  to  sniff  or  snuff  up  the  nose. 

i-ku'-ko-no-me-i-sis'-tuts,  the  external  parts  of  the 

nose, 
nothing,  i'-ho-wa-an. 

e-ho-wa'-ni-ni-he',  to  become  nothing. 

0. 

obliquely,  i-tali-ah',  obliquely,  from  corner  to  corner. 


310 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY    AND    PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 


obstinate,  sti-wi'-nis-to,  to  be  obstinate,  resolute,  to 

have  a  mind  of  one's  own. 
old,  in-o-no'. 

i'-tu-si-i-na'-o,  to  become  old. 
e-pi'-i-ots,  to  become  old  or  rotten,  as  old  clothing, 
ma-tum'-ha,  an  old  woman. 
im'-6s,  old,  worn  out. 
im'-o-sots,  pi. 

ni-ta'-iin-os,  all  old,  very  old. 
on,  he-am',  on  or  upon, 
ooze,  ma'-pi-im-i'-ots,  to  run  or  ooze  out,  as  sap  or 

water, 
open,  i-o-ni'-ain,  to  open  anything,  as  a  bundle;  to 

untie,  as  a  shoe, 
si'-to-wo,  an  open  place,  a  yard, 
e-ta'-ots,   to   open   the  mouth,  in  yawning   or 

gaping. 

i-ish-tsin',  something  that  is  open,  as  cloth, 
na-ish-tsin'.  1st  person  sing. 
oppose,  ev-hav-si'-va,  to  check,  to  oppose,  put  a  stop 

to,  forbid. 

ornaments,  hi-wo',  a  man's  ornaments, 
na-wo',  my  ornaments, 
ni-wo',  thy  ornaments, 
ho,  brass  rings,  used  as  ornaments  around 

the  wrist, 
ho'-ho-nots,  pi. 
orphan,  nil'i-hais',  an  orphan. 

nih-hai'-son,  pi. 
overflow,  i-uii'-ish,  to  overflow,  as  a  flood. 


P. 

pack,  i-sho-po-o'-inst,  a  pack  or  bundle  of  furs, 
paint,  i-ho'-wo-ni,  to  paint  one's  self  yellow. 
pair,  e-no'-ka,  a  pair. 

e-nih-anst',  two  pairs. 

e-na-hanst',  three  pairs, 
pantaloons,  wi-shi-su'-nist. 
pare,  i'-a-toh,  to  pare  anything  with  a  knife, 
pass,  i-ta'-a-ain,  to  pass  over,  as  a  hill,  in  going  home. 

e'wo-iv,  passing  off,  as  clouds. 

patient,  o-wai-hai'-is-ci-wi'-mi-ist,  to  count  as  nothing, 
to  be  patient. 


I  perhaps,  probably. 


paw,  e-shi'-6i-tsi-wai'-yost,  to  paw  up  dust,  to  throw 

up  earth  as  cattle  do. 
people,  his-tain',  a  people,  tribe,  nation,  band. 

hi-rnan-hai'-stots,  his  people, 
pepper,  mi'-i-mi-nuts. 
perhaps,  mu'-i-ni-su'a-ni, 

hi-ya'-i-nis, 
pimple,  i-ho'-pi-in',  a  pimple,  a  rough  place  on  the 

skin. 

pipe,  he'-6k,  a  pipe, 
he-o'-ko-nots,  pi. 
na'-tsi-ok,  my  pipe. 
6i'-ok,  your  pipe. 

na-tai'-to-an,  I  will  fill  my  pipe  myself, 
he'-pots,  to  take  the  pipe, 
si-o'-kis-to-mis,  small  end  of  the  pipe-stem,  which 

is  taken  into  the  mouth, 
ha-he-yo',  a  stick  to  press  the  tobacco  down  in 

the  pipe  when  smoking. 
pitch,  o-ho'ma-ni-nili'-a-mo-cist,    to    come   and   pitch 

one's  tent. 

pithy,  e-wi'-na-ots,  pithy,  spongy. 
place,  tu'-sa,  at  what  place  ? 

tu-sa-ni'-ta-ots,  where,  in  what  place  is  it  ? 
si-nots',  to  place  under  the  girdle,  as  a  hatchet 

or  knife,  to  wear  around  the  loins, 
na-tali'-o-wi-stan,  from  one  place  to  another. 
plain,  i-toli'-ton,  a  plain,  level, 
to  pluck,  o-ko-wa'-ni,  to  pluck  out,  as  the  hair  on  the 

head, 
plums,  mah'-i-mi'-nota. 

mali'-i-mi-sta'-im,  plum  pits  or  stones, 
mali'-i-mi-no'-isc,  plum  bushes. 

plunge,  i-i'-i-yots,  to  plunge  or  sink  down,  as  in  water, 
polish,  i'-o-wa'-si-to,  to  rub  and  make  shine,  to  polish. 
poor,  nsta'-mi-no,  poor,  miserable,  destitute, 
nsta'-m  i-no'-he  -hi  v. 
nsta'-mi-no'-hi-o,  (pi.) 
i-toli'-o-na,  poor,  not  fat. 

pop,  c'-ni-sto'-ni-wa,  to  make  pop,  as  in  blowing  a  leaf, 
porcupine,  he-ko'-wit. 

he-kost',  porcupine  quills. 

possess,  he-ni'-sco,-  to  possess  anything,  to  have  for 
one's  own. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


311 


pound,  e-pin'-ha-nots,  to  pound,  as  corn  in  a  mortar, 
pe-nots',  to  pound  anything  fine, 
i-si'-o-i'-yats,  to  rani  or  pound  hard  in  a  hole, 
powder,  woli'-i-wusts,  a  powder-horn. 
wol\'-i-wit,  (pi.) 

e-pa'-im,  what  remains  after  powder  is  ex 
ploded. 

na-pa'-im,  my  powder, 
ni-pa'-im,  your  powder, 
e-pa'-iin-iv,  (pi.) 
pox,  i-wa'-ni-i-ist,  small-pox. 

i-6sh'-ki-win',  pitted  with  the  small-pox,  a  pitted 

face. 

prairie,  wi-e'-no-tsi'-o-ko-manst,  out  in  the  prairie, 
preserve,  e-6li'-po-o-ist,  to  keep  or  preserve  anything 

with  care. 
press,  o-e'-to-i,  to  press  down  on. 

e-ko'-no-ho'-e-n5ts,  to  press  on,  be  tight  on. 
e-nili'-pe-si'-o-wats,  to  press  close  together  with 

the  mouth, 
to  prick,  e-he'-woh-so,  to  prick  or  dot,  as  marks  on  the 

skin. 

proud,  e-hi'-is-ta,  proud,  vain, 
pulverize,  i-ci'-wa-to'-i-yo,  to  pulverize,  to  plough  the 

ground. 

i-pin',  powdered,  pulverized,'  fine, 
pumpkin,  ma'-o. 

ma'-6n,  (pi.) 
punch,  i-oli'-i-wo,  to  punch  a  hole,  or  to  make  a  hole 

by  punching. 

mah-o'-yi,  to  punch  to  death  in  a  hole. 
purpose,  e-oli'-i-mo,  to  purpose  evil  against,  to  desire 

to  take  the  life  of  any  one. 
push,  sim-o-ta'-so-6ts,  to  push,  as  a  boat  out  from  the 

shore  with  a  paddle. 

ai-so-o'-wo,  to  push  against,  to  push  along, 
i-i'-e-yots,  to  push  under  and  pry  up,  as  a  root, 
tsi'-i-ne,  to  push  or  jog  any  one  with  the  elbow, 
wo-wo-tut'-si-mi-nots,  to  push  into,  as  a  stick 

into  the  sand  after  turtles'  eggs. 
put,  e-o-tats',  to  put  on  and  wear,  as  leggins. 

c'-hi-ma'-ma,  to  put  on,  as  clothes,  to  wear,  to  be 
clothed. 

VOL.  xn. — 40 


mi-sih'-o-pa'-i-woli,  to  put  anything  (as  a  child) 
on  one's  back  under  a  blanket. 

Q. 

quarrel,  mi'-o-tats,  to  quarrel  or  fight  with  any  one. 
quarter,  niv-sta'-ni-wo-e'-hist,  one  of  the  four  quarters 

of  anything. 

quit,  i-ni-sto'-i-no,  to  quit  the  lodge,  to  leave  it. 
quiver,  i-stus',  a  quiver. 

na-i-stus',  my  quiver. 

ni-i-stus',  thy  quiver. 

i-stu-sun'  (pi.),  quivers. 

K. 

rain,  i-ho'-ko,  to  rain. 

i-wo'-o-no-ko,  a  long-continued  rain. 

no-no-no',  rainbow. 

e-oh'-tat,  a  kind  of  lizard  that  is  supposed  to  fall 

with  the  rain, 
raspberries,  6ts-6i-e'-i-hew'h. 

i-wi'-po-tsi-wa,  raspberry  bushes. 
rattle,  in'-is-to'-ni-wa'-nots,  to  rattle  the  feet  when 

walking, 
e-shi'-shi-non,  nails  and  hoofs  of  animals  used 

as  rattles. 

ravish,  i-na'-ko-nan,  to  ravish,  to  commit  a  rape. 
.  ready,  no-no'-to-ho-sinst,  ready,  prepared  for  anything, 
recoil,  na-po'-i-shi-ni'-o,  to  recoil,  as  a  gun. 
red,  im'-a-o,  to  become  red,  reddish, 
im-a-o'-nist. 

en-i-ma-ho'-i-na,  redness  of  the  dawn. 
rhubarb,  e-si'-i-o-tsi-holi,  yellow  medicine, 
reject,  tsi-wi'-wi-6m,  to  reject,  to  despise,  to  turn  away 

from. 

na-ta-wi'-wi-om,  I  reject, 
ni-ta-wi'-wi-om,  thou  dost  reject, 
remember,  mi'-e-ta-nots,  to  remember,  to  recollect, 
rest,  o-so'-to-mo-ist,  rest,  to  rest, 
resemble,  i-si-i-shi'-ni-o,  to  be  like,  to  resemble,  to 

have  its  father's  face, 
restore,  mi'-tsi,  to  restore  to  any  one,  to  give  to  one 

what  belongs  to  him. 
na-ta'-mit,  I  restore. 


312 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


ni-ta'-mit,  thou  dost  restore, 
ni-ta'-mi-tats  (pi.),  they  restore. 
rice,  e'-hi-son. 
rich,  i-ha'-o-wa,  to  be  rich. 

i-ha'-o-wai-yo  (pl.)>  they  are  rich, 
na-ha'-o-wai-yo,  we  are  rich, 
na-ha'-o-wa,  I  am  rich, 
ni-ha'-o-wa,  thou  art  rich. 

ring,  ili'-i-wa-ots,  to  ring  as  a  bell,  to  make  ring, 
na-a-ni'-a-to-mats,  a  ringing  in  the  ears, 
na-sa-a-ni'-sto-mo-ni,  I  have  a  ringing  in  my  ears. 
rise,  i-o-ha'-a,  to  rise  or  get  up. 
na-o-ha'-a,  I  rise, 
ni-o-ha'-a,  thou  dost  rise, 
na-o-hain',  we  rise, 
ni-o-hain',  you  rise, 
i-o-ha'-i-o,  they  rise, 
i-a-ha'-ni-sti'-wa-ha,  to  rise  up  again,  to  recover 

itself,  as  grass,  that  is  bent  down, 
im'-i-an,  to  rise  up  in  sight,  as  one  in  the  water, 
a-to'-ni-wa-ni,  to  rise  up,  to  stand  up  like  the 

hairs  on  an  animal, 
river,  o'-he. 

o-he-ist',  (pi.) 

o-he-kis',  a  small  river  or  creek, 
o-hik-so'-nots,  (pi.) 
mah-i-yo'-he,  a  large  river. 
mali-i-yo'-hist',  (pi.) 
o-he-i'-ho-hom,  mouth  of  a  river. 

crossing  a  river. 


e-oh'-o-who,  j 


road,  mi'-o. 

mi'-o-niv. 

oh-o-wi-sta'-mi-o. 

o'-ha-mas,  by  the  way,  on  the  road,  between  one 

place  and  another, 
roast,  moh'-ta-woli'-po-no-tots,  to  roast  or  parch,  as 

coffee  or  corn. 

i'-ma-shi'-ni-hu,tobe  partially  or  wholly  roasted, 

to  be  covered  with  red  spots  from  going  too 

near  the  fire. 

na'-ma-shi'-ni-hu,  I  roast. 

ni'-ma-shi'-ni-hu,  thou  dost  roast. 

na'-ma-shi'-ni-hu-i  sto,  we  roast. 


robe,  ma-tsi'-o-mi-wol'i'-tsit,  a  summer  robe. 

tsi-wo'-kom-hom,  a  white  robe. 
rock,  o-o-na'. 

o-o-na'-i-o,  (pi.) 

o-o-na'-tson,  small  water-worn  pebbles, 
o-o-wai',  white,  crystalline  gypsum,  selenite. 
wo'-i-sta'-o-na,  white  rock,  or  white,  smooth  rock, 

quartz. 

moli -ta'-wo-na,  black  rock,  a  primitive  rock, 
tsi-o'-ho-ist,    "the   rock  that  water  cuts,"    cut 

rock,  forming  a  canon, 
shi'-i-e,  sandstone, 
roll,  e-wo-wo'-ld-tsi-un,  to  roll  anything. 

e-a-mo'-in,  to  roll  over  and  over,  as  the  wheel  of 

a  wagon. 
room,  mi-to-mev',  to  make  room  for,  as  in  a  tent,  to 

give  place  to. 
rosebud,  he-nin'. 

he-ni-ni'-o-he,  the  Rosebud  River, 
rotten,  a-he'-ko-tali,  rotten,  as  wood, 
rough,  i'-yo-iv,  rough,  roughened  up. 
ili-iv'-a-o,  rough,  as  a  country. 
row,  mi-o-na'-nist,  a  row,  as  of  corn. 

mi-o-na'-ni-sto,  (pi.) 

rub,  i-o'-wo,  to  rub  or  brush  off,  as  dirt  or  dust, 
ni-o-nis'-to-kan,  to  rub  in  the  hands, 
e-ho-nin',  to  rub  skins  with  the  hand  in  dressing, 
i-ali-e-ish',  to  rub  or  scratch  the  back  against  any 
thing. 
i-o-6h'-i-mali'-i-e,  to  rub  a  robe  or  a  skin  on  a 

rope  or  cord  in  dressing, 
na-o-oli '-i-mali'-i-ist,  I  rub,  &c. 
ni-o-oli'-i-mali'-i-ist,  thou  dost  rub,  &c. 
i-o-oh '-i-mal'i'-i-is'-6i-na,  they  rub,  &c. 
na-o-oli'-i-mali'-i-is'-di-no,  we  rub,  &c. 
ni-o-oli'-i-mah'-i-is'-6i-no,  you  rub,  &c. 
e-shi-oli'-i-mali '-i-e,  to  be  done  rubbing  a  robe  on 

a  cord. 

e-sho'-ni-o,  to  rub  a  robe  or  skin  with  the  hands, 
na-sho'-ni-oli,  I  rub,  &c. 
ni-sho'-ni-oh,  thou  dost  rub,  &c. 
na-shi-oli'-ta-non,  we  rub,  &c. 
ni-shi-oli'-ta-non,  you  rub,  £c. 
run,  i-a-mi-mi'-o,  to  run. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


313 


i'-a-mah',  to  run  away,  flee,  retreat, 
rump,  aist'-slii-o,  the  lower  part  of  the  back, 
nast'-shi-o,  my  rump. 
nist'-shi-o,  thy  rump, 
rush,  i-wi'-sto-i-ni-sto,  to  rush  on  the  buffalo. 

o-ha'-i-si-yiis'-ta-i-si-takst',  to  rise  up  and  rush, 

as  one  excited. 

rustle,  wlu'-po-to'-tsi-ih -i-no'-ninst,  to  make  rustle,  as 
leaves. 


S. 

sacred,  i-a-ma'-wi-hot,  to  regard  as  sacred  or  holy. 
sack,  ho'-e,  an  empty  bag  or  sack, 
saddle,  o-au-kis'-tots. 

o-au-kis'-to-tuts,  (pi.) 
na-to-au-kis'-to-tots,  my  saddle. 

ni-to-au-kis'-to-tots,  thy  saddle. 

o-wa'-ki-stots,  a  pack-saddle. 
sail,  ev'-si-o,  to  sail  round,  as  an  eagle. 
scabby,  i-yo-iv',  scabby,  scabbed. 

i-yo-iv'-i-o,  (pi.) 

scales,  o-ni'-sta-na-nots,  scales,  steelyards, 
scampering,   e'-wo-so,  scampering   like   colts,  unre 
strained, 
scare,  e-a-si-ha'-wo,  to  scare  away  by  stamping. 

i-o-a'-si-ta'-o-wo,  to  scare  all  away, 
scattered,  e'-he-ni-anst,  scattered  or  fallen  from,  as  a 

rock. 
scowl,  e-he'-hi-oli'-tan,  to  scowl,  to  make  wrinkles  on 

the  forehead  by  raising  the  eyebrows, 
scrape,  i-shiu '-o-i-ain',  to  scrape,  as  a  robe. 

na-shili'-o-i-ain',  I  scrape,  &c. 

ni-shlli'-o-i-ain',  thou  dost  scrape,  &c. 

ni'-ta-i-shiu'-o-i-ai'-ni-sto,  they  all  scrape,  &c. 

i'-ni-to,  to  scrape  the  hair  from  a  hide. 

na'-ni-to,  I  scrape,  &c. 

ni'-ni-to,  thou  dost  scrape,  &c. 

i'-ni-to-i'-sto,          ) 

,''.'.,          r  tlloy  scrape,  &c. 
i-ma -m-to-i -sto,    ) 

e'-shi-ni-to,  to  be  done  scraping,  as  a  skin, 
na'-shi-ni-to,  I  am  done  scraping, 
ni'-shi-ni-to,  thou  art  done  scraping. 
i-shi-Ih'-o-i-sto,  they  are  done  scraping. 


e-shi-ih'-o-ni-o,  he  was  done  scraping,  &c. 
na-shi-ili'-o-ni-oh  t,  I  was  done  scraping, 

&c. 

ni-shi-ili'-o-ni-olit,  thou  wert  done  scrap 
ing,  &c. 
na-shi-ili'-o-ni-oli'-ta-non,  we  were  done 

scraping,  &c. 
ni-shi-Ih'-o-ni-oli'-ta-non,  you  were  done 

scraping,  &c. 
i-si'-si-no,  to  scrape  a  skin. 
won t-sit',  the  scrapings  of  skins, 
o-ni'-o-tots,  to  scrape  the  hairs  off  a  skin, 
scratch,  ali-e'-i-nats,  to  scratch,  as  one  itching, 
i-an-e'-i-nats,  he  scratches, 
i-ali-e'-i-stai-im,  they  scratch, 
i-ho'-ta-o,  a  scratch. 

ah-i-a-ta'-o-wats,  to  scratch  with  the  toes. 
screw,  ni'-to-yo,  gun  screw  or  worm, 
scum,  i-ta-wo'-ni-wi-siv,  to  have  a  scum. 
seam,  i-a'-mo-to'-i-no,  seam  in  a  buffalo  robe. 
season,  i-i-mi'-a-niv,  next  season,  next  year. 

a-i'-ni-shi'-i-kas,  the  season  when  the  days  are 

short, 
an-sta'-i-ha-as,  the  season  when  the  nights  are 

short. 

see,  i-o-ha'-6ist,  to  see  clearly. 
na-o-ha'-6ist,  I  see  clearly, 
ni-o-ha'-^ist,  thou  seest  clearly, 
see-sawing,  in-o-no-po'-i-o-a-tsi'-o,  sec-sawing,  an  up 

and  down  motion. 

set,  wi-kis-in'-o-o-na,  to  set,  as  a  bird, 
sew,  a-po-nots',  to  sew  or  mend. 

i'-ha-pi-nolit,  to  sew  on,  to  patch, 
o-im'-sko-nuts,  an  Indian  woman's  sewing-bag, 

which  contains  all  her  sewing  apparatus, 
e'-po-i-not,  to  sew  on  a  round  patch, 
e-ali'-pi-no,  to  sew  on  a  long  patch,  over  a  rent, 
shade,  i-ho-wi'-o-o,  shade,  or  shadow. 

e-ya-wi'-a-o,  a  shade,  as  branches  of  trees ;  an 

umbrella. 
shake,  ma-ko'-mi-is-i-a'-si-to-to,  to  shake,  to  clean  by 

shaking  or  blowing,  as  kinnic-kinnin. 
i-o-wai'-i-yots,  to  shake  the  head, 
i-yo'-ma-ish,  to  motion  with  the  head. 


314 


ON   THE    ETHNOGRAPHY   AND    PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


e-yo'-ma-e'-uts,  to  wag  the  head, 
in-is'-to-ni-wa,  to  be  shaken  by  the  wind, 
ka-mali'-i-i-ni'-mo-tot,  to  shake  with  the  mouth, 
sharp,  e-e'-kus. 

di-e'-kus,        ) 

[  sharp-pointed, 
ci-e-ka-kus,  ) 

shears,  oli-to-wa'-mo,  a  pair  of  shears. 

6h-to-wa'-mo-takst,  pi. 
shed,  wi-ci'-su-i-ni'-si-i-na,  to  shed  quills. 
sheep,  wo-ka'-i-tsi-wo'-ko-mast,  white  deer,  a  sheep ; 

also,  kos,  a  sheep, 
shells,  ci-nri'-o-na,  shells  of  the  genus  Dentalium,  used 

as  ornaments. 

ni-mac',  a  land-shell,  Helix. 
ni-ma6i'-o,  pi. 

ma-pi'-ni-rna<5,  water-shells, 
shirt,  is'-ci,  a  shirt. 

na'-is-6i,  my  shirt. 
ni'-is-6i,  thy  shirt. 
e'-is-<5i,  his  shirt, 
is'-ci-in,  pi.  shirts. 
moli-ta'-wi-is-(5i,  a  black  shirt, 
wo'-ko-mi-ka-ku'-is-ci,  a  white  shirt, 
ka-ku'-is-ci,  a  yellow  calico  shirt. 
o-i-shi'-nai-wai-o'-t5ts,  a  vest,  a  shirt  with  the 

sleeves  cut  off. 
kali-o'-i-shi-6n,  calico  cloth, 
shoes,  holi-tsim'-o-ki,  round  snow-shoes. 
shoot,  i-ha'-ni-mas,  he  shoots, 
na-ha'-ni-mas,  I  shoot, 
ni-ha'-ni-mas,  thou  dost  shoot, 
i-pi'-im-hist,  to  shoot  in  pieces, 
shore,  to-tu-kom',  at  the  shore,  by  the  shore,  at  the 

edge, 
oli-i-en',  said  of  a  bluff  shore,  where  the  water 

is  deep, 
short,  cik-sta'. 

i-6ik'-sta-yo,  pi. 
shot,  shi'-shi-ma-hots. 

mali-i-wi'-hu-i-ma,  large  shot,  balls. 
shoulder,  i-sta'-ta-mo. 

i-sta'-tsi-i-ma'-moh-o-yi,  between  the  shoul 
ders, 
i-tsi-o'-is-tak,  to  shrug  up,  as  the  shoulders. 


shout,  no'-o-nost,  to  shout  out  to  any  one. 
sick,  i-ha'-moli-ta. 

i-sa-ha'-moh-ta,  not  sick. 
side,  is-ci'-a-mah'-ist,  on  one  side, 
ha-stu',  on  the  other  side, 
ho-hom',  on  this  side, 
sight,  e'-ni-mi-in,  to  come  in  sight,  as  people  from 

over  a  hill. 

ta-si'-a-me-inst',  in  sight  of,  afar  off. 
silently,  e-tsi'-a-mi,  stilly,  silently,  as  if  approaching 

game, 
simmer,  i-to-si'-i-so-wot,  to  simmer,  or  make  a  slight 

noise  just  before  boiling,  as  water, 
sinew,  ho'-tauli,  taken  from  the  back  of  an  elk  or 

deer. 

he-sis'-ton,   large  sinew  in  the    neck  of  ani 
mals. 
sing,  ni-minst',  to  sing. 

na-ta'-ni-min,  I  sing, 
ni-ta'-ni-min,  thou  dost  sing, 
i-ta'-ui-min,  he  sings. 

wa-wa-o'-si-mi,  to  sing  in  a  low  tone,  in  a  whis 
pering,  drawling  manner,  as  the  Shyenne  wo 
men  do  when  lulling  their  children  to  sleep, 
e'-ni-min,  to  sing  in  praise  of  any  one. 
sink,  o-na'-i-hi-ko,  to  sink  down,  as  a  stone. 
singe,  wi'-he,  to  singe  off,  as  the  down  from  a  fowl, 
sister,  is-ta-ta-nim',  a  sister. 

is-ta-ta-nim'-i-wo,  pi.  sisters. 
nali'-a-im,  my  sister. 
i-ali'-a-im'-i-wo,  pi.  my  sisters. 

sit,  en-sta-ni-wa'-e-ni-i,  to  sit  with  the  knees  bent  up. 
skim,  mo-molit',  to  skim  off,  as  grease  from  a  pot. 
skin,  en-o-iv',  all  kinds  of  skins. 

o-ev',  a  green  skin,  one  just  taken  from  the  ani 
mal. 

i-o-oli'-a-niv,  dried  skin,  parchment, 
wo'-ka-e-wots,  all  kinds  of  deerskins, 
o-ho'-kuts,  a  deerskin  with  the  hair  taken  off. 
i-no-ta'-ni-sto,  a  skin  bottle,  for  holding  water, 
e-wa-e'-l'iu-wa,  an  instrument  for  scraping  skins, 
sky,  wo-e-i'-a-ta-tan,  blue  sky. 
sleep,  i'-o-wish,  to  sleep. 

i-na-au-si'-tan,  to  sleep  or  be  sleepy. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


315 


i-ma'-no-sliin,  to  sleep  side  by  side, 
tai-o-wisc',  to  sleep  out,  away  from  home. 
slide,  i-a-no'-i-o-whit,  to  slide,  as  on  the  ice. 
slip,  e-soh '-i-yu-ash,  to  slip,  as  on  the  ice. 

e'-ho-ha-in,  to  let  anything  drop  or  slip  from  the 

hand, 
slippery,  e-i-soh'. 

e-ih-o'-a,  slippery,  ropy,  slimy. 

slits,  o-he-wi'-o-tah,  slits  cut  in  a  skin  when  stretched, 
slushy,  e-moh'-tsi-e'-no,  as  snow  when  soft, 
small,  e'-ta-ki,  anything  small. 

i-ei-ta'-o,  how  small  ?  of  what  size  ? 
smell,  i-hav'-si-vi'-no,  smelling  badly,  stinking. 

i-hav'-si-vi-mi'-i-ots,  to  smell  badly,  as  tainted 

meat. 

in'-a-ton,  to  smell, 
o-oli'-i-mi'-yots,  a  strong  smell, 
si'-to-wun,   to  burn  incense,  to  make  a  good 

smell  by  burning, 
smoke,  i'-vi-ndt. 

im-a'-vi-not,  smoky,  full  of  smoke, 
im'-a-wi-ta'-nist,  to  smoke, 
e-wi'-no-ta-wo-ma'-no,  smoky,   air   filled  with 

smoke. 

smooth,  i-a'-to-no-wi'-si-nats,  to  smooth  down  the  hair, 
snap,  i-a-i-si',  to  crack  or  snap,  as  fire.  . 

i-oli'-o-ma,  to  snap  or  crack  as  ice  in  walking 

over  it. 

sneeze,  e-he-ta-in',  to  sneeze, 
snow,  is'-tas. 

iin-a'-is-ta-siv,  all  kinds  of  snow,  all  the  snow, 
i'-ho-i-it,  falling  snow,  to  fall  as  snow. 
is-ta'-si-6li '-i-a-no'-iv,  a  snow-drift, 
i-wo'-o-ni-it,  to  snow  in. 
i-ho-it',  it  is  snowing, 
i-a'-ih'-to'-e-in,  to  snow  on  anything, 
im-a-ya'-to-in,  everything  covered  with  snow. 
soak,  e-shi-ki'-o-wo,  to  soak  a  robe  for  dressing. 
na-shi'-ko-wOts,  I  soak,  &c. 
ni-shi'-ko-wots,  thou  dost  soak,  &c. 
e-shi'-ko-wo'-tsi-no,  they  soak,  &c. 
i-su'-a-ni-ots,  to  soak  through  and  come  out  on 

the  other  side. 
soap,  shi-shi'-wo-iv. 


sometimes,  once  in  a 
while,  now  and 
then. 


soft,  e-haic',  soft,  fine. 

em-ah'-e-e,  to  make  soft,  as  bread, 
soldier,  no-tali'. 

no-tah'-i-yo,  (pi.) 
something,  he-no-wa-e'-ton,  is  that  something? 

he-ni-na'-wo-ni-o-is-ci'-no,    to   lose    some 
thing. 

sometimes,  na-tu'-as, 
na-tu'-sa, 
tu-sa-nin'-hiv, 
na-ni'-shi-ni-na, 
na-tas'-tsi-nis-torn, 
tu'-a-sus, 
sores,  m-o-to'-i-yots,  itch  sores. 

i'-ma-hi-ma'-nit,  to  be  covered  with  sores, 
na-ni-o-i'-wi-uts,  to  come  out  on,  as  sores  or 
pimples,  to  break  out  in  sores  or  spots  on  the 
skin. 

spatter,  wi'-si-ots,  to  spatter,  to  fly  out,  as  grease. 
speak,  i-mali'-i-ha,  to  speak  with  a  loud  voice. 

i-wih'-pi-ha,  to  speak,  growl,  or  sing  in  a  hoarse 

voice, 
spill,  e-ni-a'-tsits,  to  spill,  scatter,  throw  broadcast. 

i-hi'-i-yu-ha,  to  spill  over  anything, 
spit,  o-si-a'-nits  and  o-si-a'-nots,  to  spit, 
spirit,  ma'-hi-o-o-liap'-si-vast,  bad  spirit, 
split,  i-6li'-o,  to  split,  as  wood, 
i-oli'-o-nov',  they  split, 
na-oli'-o,  I  split, 
ni-oli'-o,  thou  dost  split, 
ka-mali'-i-i-oh'-i-wo,  to  split  wood, 
e'-o-kali,  to  split  with  a  knife. 
6li'-i-yu-stats,  to  split  by  shaving, 
spoon,  a-mi'-ku-a-mik',  a  horn  spoon,  made  from  the 

horn  of  the  mountain  sheep. 
spread,  o'-i-yatst,  to  spread  out  anything  to  dry. 
i-tsi'-o-i-ta,  to  spread  the  knees  apart, 
o-no'-ko-nanst,  to  make  or  spread  down  a  bed 

for  one. 
spring,  wo-tainst',  a  spring  or  well. 

o-a-me'-wa,  a  bubbling  spring. 

o-a-mest',  pi. 

i-ai'-no,  to  have  spring  come  to  any  one. 

e-shi-ili'-o-o,  coming  up,  springing  up,  as  grass. 


316 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 


sprinkle,  ma-pi-i'-ni-ats,  to  sprinkle,  as  with  water, 
staff,  is-tOTi'-to,  a  staff  used  iu  walking. 

i-holi'-to-yots,  to  use  a  staff  in  walking, 
stand,  ili-a-rua'-yo,  he  stands  bent  forward. 

nali-a-ma'-yo,  I  stand  bent  forward. 

nili-a-ma'-yo,  you  stand  bent  forward. 

ili-a-ma'-yo-i-sto,  they  stand  bent  forward. 

i-ni-ho'-wi-o,  to  stand  up,  to  stiffen  up,  as  the  hair. 

e'-yu-ha,  to  stand  up,  rise  up,  to  stand  still. 

e-ha-tos'-tsi-a,  to  stand  up,  as  the  hair  on  the 
front  portion  of  the  head. 

e'-po-po-ot,  standing  apart,  separate,  as  blades 

of  grass. 
stars,  o-tolik'. 

o-toh'-i-o,  pi. 

moli'-uts,  Little  Dipper,  seven  stars. 

si-a-me-yu',  the  Milky  Way  in  the  heavens,  or 
the  road  where  the  dead  walk. 

wo-wo'-i-wo,  morning  star. 
start,  na-no'-6ist,  to  start  to  come,  to  come, 
steal,  e'-no-mats,  to  steal ;  also,  dull '-i-no-rnats. 

na'-no-mats,  I  steal. 

ni'-no-uiats,  thou  stealest. 

na'-no-ma'-tsim,  we  steal. 

ni'-no-ma'-tsim,  you  steal. 

e'-no-ma'-tsi-o,      "> 

[    they  steal. 
e'-no-ma -tsi-to,     J 

steam,  e-i'-shi-o. 

step,  tau-nist',  a  step  or  pace. 

tau-ni'-sto,  pi. 

stern,  i-ta'-ko-win,  to  be  stern  or  cross, 
stick,  c'-pa-o-i-ots,  to  stick,  or  make  stick,  as  mud. 
e-hi-ku'-ma-o,  to  mire,  to  stick  in  the  mud. 
i-sa'-ha-to,  to  stick  to,  as  an  opinion,  continue  to 

assent. 

lia'-nom,  sticky,  clammy, 
na-po-pali'-o-i-na'-ots,  sticking,  like  molasses. 
stiff,  c-hi'-ko-nos,  to  become  stiff  or  hard,  as  a  dead 

body,  or  clothes, 
i-na-tsi-o-na'-wos,  to  have  the  hands  stiff  or  nunib 

with  cold. 

stir,  hi-yo'-yo,  to  stir  up  the  earth,  to  plough. 
stirrups,  toli-pa-o'-o-nots. 

toh-pa-o'-a-na-sit,  stirrup-straps. 


stomach,  wi-no-ho'-ots,  the  stomach  of  animals. 

e-woli-ta'-si-6m,  the  fat  around  the  stomach, 
e-to'-nish,  the  gizzard  of  fowls. 
stone,  o-i-sin',  a  stone  for  sharpening  a  knife, 
o-a-na'-tson,  small  stones,  gravel, 
tsi-ma-ma'-o-ist,  red  stony  hill, 
tsi-moli -tau'-o-iuan,  black  stone  that  is  used  for 

fuel,  lignite  and  coal. 
stoop,  lia-ma-e'-yuts,  to  stoop  down, 
stop,  ta-ha'-yu-hi'-tu-wi,  to  stop,  to  obstruct,  to  hinder 

one. 

i-si-va'-i-ni,  to  lay  hold  on,  to  stop  one. 
straighten,  si'-pi-o-naut,  to  straighten  out,  as  the  arm 

bent  at  the  elbow. 

strange,  e-not'-siv,  belonging  to  another  tribe, 
nots,  a  stranger,  an  enemy, 
no'-tsi-o,  (pi.) 

strangle,  e'-ko-ta-nu,  to  strangle  with  a  rope,  to  hang, 
e'-ko-tsi-a,  to  be  hung,  or  strangled  with  a 

cord. 
stretch,  e-si-pa',  to  stretch,  yawn. 

i-si'-ho-e-is'-to,  to  stretch  out,  as  a  hide  with 

pins. 

strike,  ta-si-in'-o-nu'-to-wa,  to  strike,  to  make  stagger, 
no-no-pots',  to  strike  a  stake  or  pin,  so  as  to 

loosen  it. 

e'-o-mo-no-e',  to  make  cry  by  striking, 
e'-i-ho-ni'-sto,  to  strike  a  ball  with  a  club, 
string,  wu-ka-he'-wuts,  a  leather  string,  a  thong, 
strokes,  e-ho'-e-wa,  strokes  or  beats,  as  the  ticking  of 

a  watch  or  clock. 
strong,  i'-inali-i-ta-niv,  a  strong  man  in  the  prime  of 

life. 

na'-rnali-i-ta-niv',  I  am  strong,  &c. 
ni'-rnal'i-i-ta-niv',  thou  art  strong,  &c. 
to  stuff,  e'-to-i-a,  to  stuff  in,  as  hay  in  moccasins  when 

travelling  in  cold  weather, 
succession,  i-no-o-wo'-ne-i-shin,  in  succession,  Indian 

file, 
suck,  e'-nin,  to  suck,  as  a  child  its  mother. 

ta'-mi-tsi-a-tsi'-ni-o,  to  give  suck,  as  a  nurse  or 

mother  her  child. 

i-no-ol'i',  to  suck  up,  to  make  a  noise  with  the 
mouth  in  eating  soup. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


317 


ni-ta-nun'-he-po-she,  to  suck  a  teat. 
ni'-shi-wai'-i-ni,  a  teat, 
sugar,  nish'-ki-mai'-i-rnap,  so  called  from  the  color  that 

it  gives  to  water,  like  soup, 
summer,  i-mi'-a-ni-o. 

mi'-a-ni-a-si'-to,  midsummer, 
sun,  i'-shi. 

ta-e'-i-shi,  night  sun,  moon, 
i-shi-im'-i-e,  after  the  sun  is  up. 
i-shi'-tai-e,  sun  going  to  sleep,  sun  setting,  west. 
Sunday,  i-shi'-ma-yu'-nu,  medicine-day,  Sunday. 

i-shi'-i-ma-he-yu'-niv,  a  sacred  day. 
suppurating,  i-o-mh'-u-no,  suppurating,  as  a  sore, 
surfeited,  na-in-liu'-i-nu,  I  am  surfeited  by  eating ;  to 

be  made  sick  by  eating  too  much, 
suspect,  e-ni-ta'-wa,  to  suspect,  to  have  an  inkling  of. 
swamp,  e-he-ko'-ma-o,  when  the  surface  of  the  coun 
try  is  low,  wet,  or  under  wate  r. 

sweat,  i-ho-pi'-ots,  to  sweat,  to  pant  or  give  out,  in 
cluding  the  idea  of  sweating, 
e'-uia-o,  to  take  a  sweat. 
e'-ma-to,  (pi.) 

im-a'-am,  a  sweat-house,  sweat  bath, 
e'-ha-nan,  to  sweat  very  profusely. 
swell,  e'-yu-ha,  to  swell,  as  from  a  wound,  inflamma 
tion. 

e'-yu-ha  (noun),  a  swelling, 
i-o'-i-ta,  a  protuberance  or  swelling,  as  a  bubo, 
e-po'-a-hant,  to  swell,  as  corn  soaked, 
swift,  i-ha-ta'-a-o,  swift,  fast, 
swim,  it-o-ham',  to  swim. 
swing,  i-wa'-wa-a,  a  swing  for  lulling  a  child  to  sleep. 

T. 

tadpoles,  i-shi'-in-o-tot. 
tall,  o-otst'-tsi-sto-o,  a  tall  tree  or  wood, 
take,  i-ha'-a-na-i-nots',  to  take  up  and  feel  the  weight, 
to  weigh. 

nish-ta-no'-i-otst,  to  take  home  with  one. 

no-wa'  (imp.),  take  it. 

ta-sta'-nots  (imp.),  take. 

he'-tsit  (imp.),  take  all. 

hc-toh'-o-nuts-his-ta'-nuts  (imp.),  take  those. 

hc-to-he'-si-va-nuts  (imp.),  take  these. 


o-tai'-is-ta-nuts  (imp.),  do  not  take  these, 
talk,  ma-ha-e-yi'-ists'sh,  to  talk  roughly  or  loudly  about 

anything, 
taste,  i-ton'-shi-mi'-a-6ts,  to  have  a  taste  or  smell. 

i-sa-ton'-shi-mi'-a-ots,   not   to   possess   taste   or 

smell, 
tattooing,  e-he'-wi-so,  tattooing  on   the  body,  blue 

stained, 
tea,  wili'-po-tots,  all  leaves,  a  great  many  leaves. 

wili-po-tsi'-ho,  the  tea  used  as  a  drink, 
tear,  oh' '-a-6ts,  to  tear,  as  cloth  or  leather. 

o-ni'-ni-lia'-nuts,  to  tear  in  pieces,  to  destroy, 
tears,  i-ha-ni-hi'-ho-to. 

i-hai'-ni-oh'-i-no-wa'-i-to,  the  eyes  full  of  tears, 
i-mo-ma'-pi-i-ma'-tsin,  to  make  the  tears  trickle 

down. 
tie,  i-to-is6',  to  tie  anything  on  to  something  else. 

o-pu'-i-si-vist,  to  tie  up  and  make  into  bundles  and 

packs, 
tired,  i-ha-ni'-wa-wo-ish,  to  be  tired  or  weary,  as  in 

walking. 

that,  nis-i-wo',  that  one ;  even  that, 
thaw,  ma'-o-me-i-ma'-tot,  to  thaw,  as  ice  or  snow, 
them,  en'-shi-no-ka,  only  them, 
there,  he'-to. 

thick,  i-ha'-o-not,  to  be  thick,  as  a  skin  or  board, 
thief,  shi-no-ma'-tsi-o-nivst,  a  thief,  a  stealer. 

in-o-ma'-tsi-o,  to  steal,  to  be  a  thief, 
think,  i-ta'-o-wo,  to  think,  to  meditate. 

i-hap-si'-vi-sta,  to  think  very  badly,  to  have  a 

bad  heart, 
ni-i-hap-si'-vi-sta,  you   think  Tery  badly,    you 

have  a  bad  heart, 
this,  no'-tsi-to. 

those,  e-to'-is-ta-nuts,  and  e'-6i-sta-nist. 
in-o-ka',  those  alone. 

ta-to-nis'-to-whews,  ) 

\-  all  those, 
no-nis  -to-whews,      ) 

thread,  ho'-ta-nun. 

throat,  he-o-tsik'. 

through,  so'-i-yatst,  through  all,  through  the  middle. 

throw,  i-wo'-ho-o-ist,  to  throw  away. 

ho-no-i-wo'-ho-o-ist,  to  throw  anything  down. 

no-mal'i' -i-mi,  to  throw  over  one,  as  a  blanket. 


318 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


o'-o-mi,  to  throw  at,  to  pelt  with  stones. 
ta'-o-mi,  a  great  many  throw  at  one  person. 
thrust,  e'-hi-ku-a,  to  thrust  into  with  a  knife. 
thumb,  na-ma-a-im'-o-ik. 
thunder,  no-no'-ma. 
tobacco,  tsin-im'-o. 

tsin-im'-on,  (pi.) 
na-tsi'-ni-mo,  my  tobacco. 
ni-tsi'-ni-mo,  your  tobacco. 
peli'-o-wa-tots,  a  cutting-board  for  tobacco. 
•peli-o-wa'-to-tots,  (pi.) 
tongue,  e-wi'-ta-nu. 

e-wi-ta-nu'-wi-wots,  (pi.) 
na-wi'-ta-nu,  my  tongue. 
ni-wi'-ta-nu,  thy  tongue. 
mi-hi-wi'-ta-nu,  a  buffalo  cow's  tongue. 
wo-sta'-ni-wi'-ta-na,  the  tongue  of  a  man. 
tongs,  ali-pa-ni'-o,  tongs,  pincers. 
tooth,  e-wi'-e-suts. 

e-wi'-e-si-wuts,  (pi.) 

na-wi'-e-suts,  my  tooth. 

ni-wi'-e-suts,  thy  tooth. 

e-yo'-tots,  to  untie  with  the  teeth. 

ih'-o-not,  to  peel  off  with  the  teeth,  as  the  rind 

of  a  turnip. 

i-pa-wi-6lit',  to  peel  or  shell  off  with  the  teeth. 
i-ko'-no-mo,  to  crack  with  the  teeth. 
i'-ni-sta-ni-wa-wot',  to  clatter  with  the  teeth  or 

gnash. 

touch,  mo-mali'-a-ni,  to  touch,  to  lay  the  hand  on. 
towards,  i-ta-si'-o,  also  e-wi-noli'. 
track,  si-a-uiots',  a  track,  footprint,  trail. 
trade,  e-oh'-to,  to  trade  or  barter. 
na-6li'-to,  I  trade. 
ni-6li'-to,  thou  dost  trade. 
e-oh'-to-wa'-o, 
e-on  -to-wa  -to, 
na-oli'-to-wam,  we  trade. 
ni-oli'-to-wam,  you  trade. 
travel,  tam-wo-wo'-ist,  to  travel  ahead. 

i'-a-me-his'-to,   to   travel   backwards  and  for 

wards. 

ho-i-na-pi'-ni-i-hot,  I  travel  on  good  land. 
e-ni-o-who',  to  travel  in  the  water. 


they  trade. 


tread,  tsi-i'-o-wi,  to  tread  on,  to  pinch  with  the  toes. 
ili-a-wo'-i-yu-ha,  to   tread  or  mash   down  the 

grass  with  the  foot. 
tree,  mili-ni-min-ust',  hackberry  tree,  so  called  because 

the  animals  crush  the  berries, 
hi-sta',  limbs  or  branches  of  a  tree, 
trinkets,  e-nu-wa'-sin,  small  articles,  trinkets. 
trot,  i-o-ni'-kai-yots,  to  trot,  as  a  horse. 
troubled,  ma-pe'-i-ha,  to  be  rough  or  troubled,  as  the 

waves  of  the  sea. 

trust,  i-ni'-sta-sta-nin,  to  trust  in  trade,  to  give  credit, 
turn,  e-o-si'-nots,  to  turn  over,  as  the  leaves  of  a  book. 

tau'-i-sta-hats,  to  turn  out  of  doors. 
turtle,  ma' -in. 

ma-i-non',  pi. 

twice,  i-o-ni-so-wali'-si-o,  twice,  in  two  ways, 
twins,  hi-sta' -ki,  his  twins. 

na-hi-sta'-ki,  my  twins, 
ni-hi-sta'-ki,  thy  twins. 
ni-hi-sta'-ki-wo-in,  your  twins, 
a-po-na-hi-sta'-ki-ni-wo'-in,  I  myself  have  twins. 
twist,  e-o-ni'-mo-tau'-in,  to  twist  or  wring  a  skin  in 

dressing  it. 

na-o-ni'-rno-tau'-in,  I  twist,  &c. 
ni-o-ni'-mo-tau'-in,  thou  dost  twist,  &c. 
e-o-ni'-mo-tau'-i-ni-sto,  they  twist,  &c. 
o-ni'-mo-ta-o-i'-nuts,   to  turn  or   twist   around 

with  the  mouth. 

e'-wi-ol'it,  to  twist  anything  with  the  mouth, 
twitch,  e'-hi-sak,  to  twitch  or  jerk  involuntarily,  as 
the  flesh  of  animals- 


U. 

uncovered,  i-no-ma'-ha-mi,  to  be  uncovered. 

i-no-ma'-ha-mo,  (pi.) 
under,  ah-to'-no. 
undertake,  sho-me'-a-to-ais-e'-ma-ist,  to  be  willing  to 

do  anything,  to  undertake  anything, 
unload,  e-ho'-ma-nu,  to  unload,  to  unharness, 
untie,  o-ni'-ha-c-niits,  to  loose,  untie,  unharness,  re 
lease  from  confinement. 
i'-o-ni'-ha-i-6ts,  to  come  untied  of  itself, 
urinate,  ili'-a-a,  to  urinate. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


319 


V. 

value,  im'-i-hot,  to  value  very  highly,  to  be  very  hard 

with  anything. 
vermilion,  ma-i-tom'. 

ma-i-to'-tnon,  (pi.) 
very,  c-sos',  (last  syllable  quite  emphatic.) 

W. 

wade,  i-huh'-o-wo,  to  wade,  as  in  the  water, 
walk,  i-ho'-yot,  to  walk  or  follow  after. 

in-shi'-wi-ots,  to  walk  rapidly, 
wandering,  e'-wo-nish. 

e-wo-ni'-shi-na-o,  (pi.) 

war,  i-wi'-o-di'-sto,  to  make  war,  to  lead  a  war  party. 
warm,  na.n-sho',  hot,  very  warm. 

nan-sho'-i-o,  (pi.) 

in-so'-o-mit,  lukewarm,  tepid  as  water, 
ward,  ho-lia',  to  ward  off  danger,  to  defend, 
warp,  im-o-mi-ka'-nant,  to  warp, 
wash,  in'-shi-shi-un,  he  washes,  or  to  wash,  as  the 
hands. 

nan'-shi-shi-un,  I  wash,  &c. 

nin'-shi-shi-un,  thou,  &c. 

nan'-shi-shi'-o-nam,  we,  &c. 

nin'-shi-shi'-o-nam,  you,  &e. 

in'-shi-shi'-o-na'-o,  they,  &c.         ' 

i-o'-hc,  to  wash,  as  clothes. 

na-i-o'-he,  I,  &c. 

ni-i-o'-he,  thou,  &c. 

na-ho-nin',  we,  &c. 

ni-ho-nin',  you,  &c. 

i-ho-ni'-ni-sto,   ") 

>   they,  &c. 
i-o-his'-to,          J 

water,  ma' -pi. 

ma-pists',  (pi.) 

ma-pi'-shi-wit,  swift-running  water. 

ma-pi-moh'-skin,  water  mint.     Mentha  Cana- 

dcnsis. 

ma-pi-i-wo'-ho-ni-o,  water,  raised  into  waves, 
i-ha'-o-tum,  deep  water, 
i-do'-ki-tum,  shallow  water, 
woli -po'-ma-dts,  salt,  sweet-water, 
im'-a-ni-tun,  to  desire  water, 
in'-a-o,  to  fall  on  in  drops,  like  water,  to  trickle. 

VOL.  XII. 41 


watch,  ta-wi'-a-o-mi,  to  watch  for,  to  look  out  for  one's 

coming. 

wave,  c'-is-t5n,  to  wave  the  hand, 
wear,  e-oli'-i-ni-a,  to  wear,  as  a  crown  or  fillet  around 

the  head, 
i'-o-ta-o,   to  wear  a  hole  in  the  moccasins  by 

walking, 
wearied,  e-ka'-ni-ots,  wearied,   exhausted,  tired  and 

sleepy. 
weasel,  lia'-a,  white  weasel. 

lia'-i-yo,  (pi.) 
weave,  rno-c'i-im'-a-ha-o,  to  weave,  as  snow-shoes  or  a 

blanket. 

web,  wi'-ko-no'-no-no,  spider's  web. 
well,  i-no-moli'-ta  (imp.  sing.),  bo  thou  well, 
i-no-moli'-tai-yo  (imp.  pi.),  be  ye  well, 
shi'-pau-a,  well,  done  well, 
what?  he'-nu-wa-it. 

hi'-no-wa,  what  ?  what  is  it  ? 
when?  to'-nish. 

to-nish-niv'-hiv,    when    was  it?    when  did  it 

occur  ? 

i-to'-ni-is,  when,  at  what  time  ? 
im-a-i-to'-ni-is,  at  what  times  ? 
to-as',  when,  when  is  it  ? 
where  ?  to-nish-ni'-ta-in,  where  is  it  ? 
whet,  i-i'-ha-sin',  to  whet  a  knife, 
which,  tas. 

while,  i-si-ha'-i-shi-wi'-ha-tsi,  for  a  little  while, 
whip,  o-ha-me'-wo-oli. 

o-ha-me'-wo-6hst,  pi. 

nish-ka'-ha-me'-wo-oli,  a  large  whip,  the  handle 

of  which  is  made  like  a  saw. 
whiskey,  wi'-hu-ma'-pi,  the  Frenchman's  water, 
whisper,  ni-ni'-a-tsi-o,  to  whisper, 
white,  e-wo'-kom ;  also,  si-wo-kom'. 

e-wo'-ko-mo-nist,  pi.  si-wo'-ko-mo'-ist. 
whistle,  e'-ish,  to  whistle,  to  call  by  whistling,  as  a  dog. 
na'-ish,  I  whistle, 
ni'-ish,  thou  dost  whistle, 
i-i'-shi-o,  they  whistle, 
e'-i-shi-non,  to  whistle  a  tune, 
i-ni-sto'-ni-wa',  the  whistling  or  whizzing  sound 
of  a  bullet. 


320 


ON   TIIE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


wi-ho'-i-ma-i'-ni-sto'-ni-wa,  to  whizz  or  whistle, 
as  a  bullet  through  the  air. 

* 

who,  ni-wa'-as. 

ni-wa'-si-o,  pi. 
widow,  6t-lia-e',  a  widow. 

6t-lia-e'-i-o,  pi. 

wife,  is-tsi'-im,  wife,  his  wife, 
na-tsi-im',  my  wife, 
ni-tsi-im',  thy  wife, 
ni-na'-tsi-im',  there  is  my  wife, 
ta-ma'-ni-tsi-im',  that  is  your  wife, 
e-is'-tsi-im,  to  have  a  wife,  to  be  married. 
e-wi'-6nst,  to  have  more  than  one  wife. 
wind,  a-ha',  wind,  windy. 

a-ha'-ish,  a  windy  day. 
i-sa-ha'-a-han,  no  wind, 
ma-ta'-in-is-to'-ni-wa'-o,  the  wind  whistles, 
e-wo'-wi-tas',  whirlwind, 
e'-hi-kot,  calm,  still,  no  wind, 
window,  i-ko-ots',  window,  port-hole,  or  any  place  to 

look  out. 

winter,  e-yai'-nu,  to  come  winter  to  one. 
wipe,  na'-nots,  to  wipe  or  cleanse,  as  dishes. 
withered,  e'-he-konst,  withered,  dead,  dried  up,  as 

leaves, 
wili'-po-to-tse'-a-na,  to  wilt,  or  wither,  as 

leaves. 

i-ma-he'-hi-no-it,  withered,  palsied,  numb, 
within,  ho-to-ma',  within  an  inclosure. 
without,  a-no-sim',  out  of  doors. 
woman,  hi. 

hi'-i-o,  pi. 

ksi-e',  a  young  unmarried  woman. 

ksi-e'-i-he,  pi. 

wi-o-ai'-wo-i-stots,  white  woman's  dress,  long 

gown. 

ma-tuin-a',  old  woman. 

womb,  is-ta-po'-a-not,  womb,  for  a  child,  or  animal. 
wood,  ka-mali'. 

ka-mali'-i-ots,  pi. 
na-ka-mali',  my  wood, 
ni-ka-niah',  thy  wood, 
na-ka-mah'-i-ham,  our  wood. 


ni-ka-mali'-i-ham,  your  wood, 
ka-mah'-i-ha'-is,  long  wood, 
e-a'-ma-ta-wi'-sta,  wood  of  all  kinds  in  the  sa 
cred  language. 

nm-ta'-a,  a  great  deal  of  wood,  a  forest  or  grove. 
work,  i-ho'-tsi-ma-nist,  to  work  at  a  difficult  thing. 

i-hi'-ko-na,    to  work   hard  or  industriously  at 

anything. 

worms,  i-nuli'-niv,  intestinal  worms. 
worthless,   ni-wa-ni'-sta-tu,  to  be  worthless,  vile ;   a 

term  of  great  reproach. 

wound,  is-a'-a-na,  wounded,  a  wounded  person, 
wi-na'-a-mi,  to  wound  without  killing, 
i'-to-si-i-na'-o,  to  recover  from  a  wound, 
wrap,  e'-to-is6,  to  wrap  up  anything. 

o'-he-i-shi,  to  wrap  up,  as  a  babe  in  a  blanket. 
e-6h'-po-o,  wrapped   up   or   around,   for   safe 
keeping, 
wrestle,  e'-wa-so,  to  wrestle,  or  play  like  two  persons 

wrestling. 
wrinkled,  e-o'-si-6ts,  wrinkled,  not  smooth,  pitted. 

e-he'-hi-no-it,  to  be  wrinkled  or  shrivelled. 
wrist,  sin-ili-o'-wi-ats. 

write,  moh'-i-ots,  to  write,  paint,  sketch,  figure, 
moh-is-to',  a  book  or  writing, 
moli-is-to'-o-nots,  pi. 
rnoh -is-to'-nis-tuts,  a  writing  pen. 


Y. 

yard,  i-tai'-i-wun,  a  measure  of  a  yard  used  by  the 

traders. 
yell,  ta-no'-a-nost,  to  yell,  to  shout  as  the  young  men 

do. 
yellow,  e'-i-yoli. 

e'-i-yo'-wo-nist,  pi. 
i-ho'-wo-ni,  to  paint  oneself  yellow, 
yes,  he'-hin. 

na'-he-hin,  same  as  Dakota,  cin'-to. 

he'-i-he,  certainly,  yes,  rather  emphatic. 

ni'-hi-tom,  it  is  good,  yes. 

na-hi'-na,  yes,  Dakota,  to,  tosh, 
young,  he  na-kis',  young  of  ducks  and  geese. 


INDIAN   TRIBES  OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  321 

• 

ABAFOHO    GROUP,   B. 

CHAPTER     IX. 

IV.  ARAPOHOS. 

ETHNOGRAPHICAL   HISTORY   AND   REMARKS   ON   THE   GRAMMATICAL   STRUCTURE   OP   THEIR    LANGUAGE. 

THE  past  history  of  the  Arapohos  is  as  little  known  as  that  of  their  relatives,  the  At- 
sinas.  The  former  regard  themselves  as  constituting  the  parent  stock,  and  believe  that 
the  latter  separated  from  them.  We  will  now  attempt  to  trace  their  previous  history,  as 
far  as  it  is  contained  in  any  of  our  written  records. 

I  have  searched  all  the  works  within  my  reach,  and  I  cannot  ascertain  with  certainty 
their  track  of  migration.  Gallatin  speaks  of  them  as  a  detached  tribe  from  the  Rapid 
Indians,  which  has  wandered  as  far  south  as  the  Platte  and  the  Arkansas,  and  formed  a 
temporary  union  with  the  Kaskaias  and  some  other  erratic  tribes.  At  the  present  time 
the  Arapohos  are  divided  into  two  portions  or  bands.  The  first  portion  call  themselves 
na-ka-si'-nin,  "  People  of  the  Sage,"  and  number  one  hundred  and  eighty  lodges.  They 
wander  about  the  sources  of  the  South  Platte  and  the  region  of  Pike's  Peak,  also  north 
ward  to  the  Red  Buttes  on  the  North  Platte.  Sometimes  they  extend  their  journeyings 
in  search  of  buffalo  along  the  foot  of  the  Big-horn  Mountains  in  the  Crow  country.  They 
spent  a  large  portion  of  the  winter  of  1859  and  '60  on  the  branches  of  Powder  River,  near 
the  base  of  the  Big-horn  Mountains.  The  second  band  call  themselves  na-wuth'-i-ni-han, 
the  meaning  of  which  is  obscure.  It  implies  a  mixture  of  different  kinds  of  people  of 
different  bands.  They  number  two  hundred  lodges,  and  range  along  the  Arkansas  River 
and  its  tributaries. 

From  the  fact  that  Pike  in  his  journals  speaks  of  the  Atsinas  as  the  "  Minnetarees  of  the 
Yellowstone,"  and  does  not  allude  to  the  Arapohos,  we  may  infer  that  they  did  not  occupy 
their  present  district  at  the  time  of  his  explorations  in  the  Arkansas  country.  There  may 
be,  therefore,  some  ground  for  the  belief  that  the  Arapohos  and  Atsinas  were  at  one  time 
all  united,  and  resided  together  in  the  region  of  the '  Saskatchewan.  This  point  requires 
still  farther  investigation.  It  would  seem  from  "  Long's  Expedition  to  the  Rocky  Moun 
tains,"  that  the  Arapohos  occupied  nearly  their  present  district  in  1819  and  '20. 

Rev.  Dr.  Morse  thus  speaks  of  these  Indians  in  1820 :  "Their  number  is  estimated  at 
10,000. .  Their  country  extends  from  the  headwaters  of  the  Kansas,  south  to  the  Rio  del 
Norte.  They  are  a  warlike  people,  and  often  making  predatory  and  murderous  excursions 
on  their  eastern  and  northern  neighbors."  Since  that  time  very  little  notice  seems  to  have 
been  taken  of  them. 


322  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

During  the  winter  of  1859  and  '60,  the  author,  attached  to  the  United  States  Exploring 
Expedition,  under  the  command  of  Capt.  William  F.  Raynolds,  T.  E.,  remained  several 
months  at  the  Indian  Agency  in  the  valley  of  Deer  Creek,  about  one  hundred  miles  north 
west  of  Fort  Laramie.  The  Arapohos  visited  the  Agency  on  their  return  from  the  Crow 
country,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  a  portion  of  their  annuities  still  due  them,  and  spent 
some  days  in  that  vicinity.  Among  them  was  an  intelligent  Indian,  called  hy  the  white 
traders  Friday,  who  had  been  taken  from  his  people  when  a  small  boy,  and  brought  up  at 
one  of  the  trading-posts,  where  he  learned  to  speak  the  English  language  with  fluency. 
When  he  became  a  man  he  returned  to  his  tribe,  adopting  their  habits  and  costume,  and 
is  now  the  most  influential  personage  among  them,  acting  as  a  medium  between  the 
Arapohos  and  the  whites.  From  him  I  obtained  the  vocabulary  given  in  this  work,  and 
all  the  information  I  possess  of  their  present  condition.  A  brief  account  of  the  early  his 
tory  of  this  man,  as  given  by  himself,  cannot  be  devoid  of  interest  or  out  of  place.  He 
says,  that  at  the  time  of  the  separation  of  the  Atsinas  from  the  Arapohos,  they  were  all 
encamped  together  on  the  Cimarron.  The  Mexicans  usually  came  up  from  the  south  to 
trade  with  them.  At  this  time  thirty  of  the  Mexicans  came,  and  the  chief  of  the  Atsina 
band  wished  them  all  to  remain  at  his  camp.  The  chief  of  the  Arapoho  band  said,  "  Let 
half  of  the  traders  go  to  one  camp  and  half  to  the  other."  A  contest  of  words  grew  out 
of  this,  and  finally  the  Atsina  chief  stabbed  the  Arapoho  chief,  and  killed  him.  The 
brothers  and  sons  of  the  murdered  man  immediately  killed  the  first  chief,  and  a  battle 
commenced,  but  the  difficulty  was  settled  before  a  great  number  were  slain.  The  two 
bands  then  agreed  to  separate,  one  portion  ranging  along  the  South  Platte  and  Arkansas 
Rivers,  the  other  passed  through  the  North  Park  to  Bridger's  Pass,  thence  along  the 
mountains  to  the  Three  Tetons.  There  they  fell  in  with  the  mountain  trappers,  with 
whom  they  had  a  contest,  and  were  driven  toward  the  Yellowstone,  where  they  were  again 
attacked  by  the  Crows,  a  large  number  killed,  and  many  taken  prisoners.  The  remainder 
escaped  to  the  Blackfeet.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  above  account  harmonizes  very  nearly 
with  that  given  by  the  Atsinas. 

It  was  at  the  time  of  the  separation  of  the  two  tribes  or  bands,  that  Friday,  with  several 
lads,  became  separated  from  their  people,  and  lost  their  way.  They  had  been  wandering 
about  for  three  days,  when  a  Mr.  Fitzpatrick,  an  old  mountaineer,  and  for  some  years  a 
United  States  Agent  for  the  Arapohos,  as  he  was  taking  a  train  of  wagons  across  the  country 
saw  Friday,  and  thinking  him  to  be  an  enemy,  raised  his  gun  to  shoot  him.  The  boy  at 
once  rose  up,  and  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  saw  that  he  was  but  a  child,  and  took  him  to  his  own 
house.  He  gave  him  the  name  of  Friday  because  he  found  him  on  that  day  of  the  week. 

Friday  relates  a  tradition  in  regard  to  the  origin  of  the  Red  races.  The  Great  Spirit 
made  the  Indians  all  one  nation  in  the  beginning.  At  first  He  made  a  woman,  then  a 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  323 

man.  At  the  beginning  the  world  was  covered  with  water,  and  then  a  large  mountain 
was  made,  on  the  summit  of  which  the  Great  Spirit  placed  the  man  and  the  woman. 
The  water  continued  to  rise  up  toward  the  top  of  the  mountain,  until  they  were  in  danger 
of  being  drowned,  when  the  woman  said  to  the  man,  "  Let  us  shut  our  eyes,  and  when 
we  open  them  again  there  will  be  no  water."  They  closed  their  eyes  for  a  large  part  of 
a  day,  and  then  the  woman  opened  hers,  and  saw  no  water ;  she  then  said :  "  We  are 
safe  :  the  water  is  passing  away  !"  After  this,  a  girl  was  born  to  the  woman,  then  a  boy. 
At  the  proper  age  the  boy  and  girl  were  married,  and  from  them  sprung  the  human  race. 
"When  the  Indians  became  so  numerous  that  they  could  not  live  together,  the  Great  Spirit 
said  they  must  separate.  He  also  said  that  they  should  not  speak  the  same  language,  and 
so  He  gave  them  different  tongues.  At  first  He  intended  to  make  them  white  men,  but 
afterwards  changed  His  mind,  and  made  them  red.  He  gave  to  the  red  men  the  game, 
buffalo,  deer,  elk,  &c.,  and  showed  them  how  to  kill  the  game.  He  also  gave  them  wood 
for  arrows,  and  showed  them  flint  for  arrow-points  and  knives.  But  He  says :  "  I  will 
make  a  race  of  white  men,  who  shall  be  a  superior  people,  who  will  know  everything." 
The  Great  Spirit  then  turned  Himself  white,  and  said  that  the  white  people  He  should 
make,  would  resemble  Him.  "  I  will  give  you  sense  enough  to  get  along  well  in  your 
mode  of  life,  but  the  superior  nation  shall  be  the  whites." 

When-  the  Arapohos  had  the  cholera,  they  would  take  small  pieces  of  rotten  wood,  and 
thrust  them  into  the  flesh  on  the  painful  portion  of  the  stomach,  and  then  set  fire  to  them, 
and  burn  them  into  the  wounds.  Friday  says  that  many  of  them  recovered  by  this  treat 
ment.  ' 

They  do  not  throw  away  a  horse  when  the  children's  ears  are  bored,  as  the  Dakotas  do. 
They  cut  off  one  or  two  joints  of  the  little  finger  of  the  left  hand  in  mourning,  but  do  not 
mutilate  themselves  after  the  manner  of  the  Crows. 


OBSERVATIONS   ON   THE   GRAMMATICAL   STRUCTURE   OP   THE   ARAPOHO   LANGUAGE. 

1.  Arapoho  nouns  have  two  numbers,  singular  and  plural,  but  the  terminations  of  the 
plural  are  of  varied  forms;  as  (sing.)  bet-6a',  a  leg;  (pi.)  bet-6a'-wa;   (sing.)  bet-a',  heart;  (pi.) 
bet-a'-ha;   (sing.)  besh,  a  nose  ;    (pi.)  be'-tha. 

2.  So  far  as  is  yet  known  the  gender  of  nouns  is  indicated  only  by  the  use  of  different 
words  to  denote  the  sexes,  and  the  case  of  a  noun  is  distinguished  by  its  position  in  a 
sentence. 

3.  The  pronouns  are  divided  into  simple  or  independent,  and  inseparable  or  fragmentary. 

4.  The  simple  or  independent  pronouns  are  as  follows : 


324 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


nen-an'-a,  I. 
nen-an'-iu,  thou  or  you. 
in'-it,  he,  she,  or  it. 
na-ne-ni'-na,  we  or  ours, 
ne-na'-nin,  you. 
in-it'-a-na,  they, 
in'-a,  this  one,  this, 
in'-i,  that. 


in-i-na'-ni,  those, 
an-i-shin'-a,  both, 
a-na-a',  who  ?  who  is  it  ? 
to-shi'-hi,  how  is  it  ? 
ta-ti'-na,  where  is  it  ? 
to-u'-hu,  when  ? 
to'-is-a,  what? 


5.  The  inseparable  or  fragmentary  pronouns  are  used  in  connection  with  nouns,  ad 
jectives,  and  verbs. 

1st.  In  connection  with  nouns  ;  as, 


wah'-a,  a  knife, 
wah'-a-ha,  knives, 
na-wali'-a,  my  knife, 
a-wali'-a,  thy  knife, 
i-wah'-a,  his  knife, 
na-wali'-a-hin'-a,  our  knives, 
a-wali'-a-hin'-a,  your  knives, 
in-a-wali'-a-hin'-a,  their  knives. 

2d.  Pronouns  in  connection  with  adjectives ;  as, 


i'-tha-ti,  good. 

i-tha-ti'-hi  (intensive),  pretty, 
i-thi'-na,  I  am  good, 
i-thin',  thou  art  good, 
i-thit',  he  is  good, 
i-thi-hin'-a,  we  are  good. 
i-thi-hith'-in,  you  are  good, 
i-thi-hith'-i,  they  are  good. 

3d.  Pronouns  in  connection  with  verbs  ;  as, 

ta-wi-thi'-na,  to  eat. 
a-tun'-wun-bi-thi'-na,  I  eat. 
wun-bi-thi'-hi,  you  eat. 
a-ta-wun'-bi-thit,  he  cats. 
a-tun'-bi-thi-hin'-a,  we  cat. 
wun-bi'-thi-a-nii'-it,  you  eat,  all  cat. 
a-ta-bi'-thi-hith'-i,  they  eat. 

na-sa'-wi-thi'-na,  I  am  going  to  cat,  or  I  will  eat. 
a-tun'-bi-thi'-na-a,  we  are  going  to  eat. 


ka-ko'-i,  a  gun. 
na-ka-ko'-i,  my  gun. 
a-ka-ko'-i,  thy  gun. 
i-ka-ko'-i,  his  gun. 
na-ka'-ko-yun'-a,  our  guns, 
a-ka'-ko-yun'-a,  your  guns, 
i-ka'-ko-yun'-a,  their  guns. 


at-i-hi'-thi-na,  it  is  pretty;  looks  well, 
at-i-hi'-ni-e'-na,  he  looks  gay  or  pretty, 
nali-c-e'-i-thit,  I  expect  he  is  good, 
nali-e-e-i'-thin-a,  I  will  be  good, 
wa'-sa,  bad. 
wali'-in,  I  am  bad. 
wal'i'-it,  you  are  bad. 


a-tun'-bi-thi'-hith-i,  they  are  going  to  eat. 

i-si'-wi-thi'-na,  I  have  eaten,  or  I  have  done  eating. 
wa-wa-nis'-wi-thit,  he  is  done  eating, 
wa-wa-nis'-wi-thi-hin'-a,  we  are  done  eating, 
i-ni-shi-wi-thi-hin'-a,  you  arc  done  eating, 
ni-shi-wi'-thi-hith-i,  they  are  done  eating. 

bi-thi'-hi  (imp.),  eat. 
a-nu'-it-bi-thi'-hi,  all  eat. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


325 


6.  The  following  miscellaneous  phrases  may  be  of  service  in  illustrating  the  grammatical 


character  of  the  language. 

un-a-hu',  warm  yourself,  you  are  cold, 
a-tun'-ci-ni-bi'-thin,  it  is  going  to  stop  snowing, 
na-ka'-ye-na,  I  am  dry  or  thirsty. 
6i-na-ka'-nic,  get  some  water. 
6i-na'-ko-he',  get  a  bucket  of  water. 
ni-he-6a-hi'-se,  come  here,  woman, 
ba-ya-ce'-ta,  come  straight  here, 
ni-to-win'-a,  call  to  them. 
6i-tan-a'-is-ta,  get  some  fire, 
a-tun'-a-nuli'-ti,  we  are  going  to  run  a  race, 
de-na'-hat-e,  he  killed  himself. 
ku-i-na-ha'-wa-wuli-u-Tia'-lia-bi,    did    you    see    the 

horses  ? 
kat-nath'-ab-i-sa,  are  you  going  ? 

7.  The  Arapoho  numerals  are  as  follows : 

one,  da-se'. 

two,  nis. 

three,  nais. 

four,  yen. 

five,  ya-thun'. 

six,  ni-ta-toh'. 

seven,  ni-sa-toR'.  , 

eight,  nai-sa-tol'i'. 

nine,  thi-a-toli'. 

ten,  me-tai-tuli'. 

eleven,  6a-se'-in. 

twelve,  ni'-sin. 

thirteen,  nai'-sin. 

fourteen,  ye'-nin. 

fifteen,  ya-thun'-in. 

sixteen,  ni-ta-toli'-in. 


bi-ha'-tha,  I  am  loved, 
bi-ha'-thith-in,  I  love  you. 
bi-li  a'-hin,  you  love  me.  . 

ath-a'-bi-Tia-thin,  he  loves  you. 
bi-lia'-tha-tin-a,  I  love  myself, 
bi-ha'-ta-wa,  I  love, 
bi-lia'-than-tus'-i-a,  I  love  my  wife, 
bi-lia'-than-e'-ha,  I  love  my  child, 
bi-lia'-that-i'-ha,  he  loves  his  children, 
bi-l'ia'-that,  he  loves  any  object, 
na-tun'-i-ni-a-ta'-nan-a,  I  have  sold  my  horse, 
i-tha-i'-tan-u,  at  the  village, 
i-tha-bab-i'-ta-wu,  in  the  ground, 
ta-shi-bi'-ta-wu,  on  the  ground. 


seventeen,  ni-sa-toli'-in. 

eighteen,  na-sa-toli'-in. 

nineteen,  thi-a-toh'-in. 

twenty,  ni-sa'. 

twenty-one,  ni-sa-cV-sa. 

twenty-two,  ni-sa'-ni-sin. 

thirty,  nai'-sa. 

forty,  ye'-ya. 

fifty,  ya-tha'-ya. 

sixty,  ni-ta'-to-so. 

seventy,  ni-sa'-to-so. 

eighty,  nai-sa'-to-so. 

ninety,  thi-a-to'-so. 

one  hundred,  me-ta'-to-so. 

one  thousand,  mai-si'-me-ta'-to-so. 


8.  NAMES   OF   DANCES,    ETC. 

A'-tha-wi,  Dog  Dance.  This  is  not  a  common  dance,  but  when  a  man  has  a  relative  sick, 
and  fears  his  death,  he  promises  to  make  a  feast  and  a  dance  if  the  sick  person,  recovers. 
Only  the  young  men  join  in  this  dance.  They  are  marked  with  the  sign  of  the  dog. 
Among  the  Indians,  a  feast  always  accompanies  a  dance. 

Ni-na-tal\'-wan,  War  Dance.  All  the  braves  join  in  this  dance.  The  Arapohos  dance  and 
sing  less  than  any  Indians  I  have  yet  seen. 


326 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY    AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 


Ben-a-ti'-sin,  Buffalo  Woman  Dance  (ben'-a,  a  buffalo,  and  is'-in,  a  woman).  Only  the  wo 
men  join  in  this  dance.  They  have  a  peculiar  costume  or  dress,  the  head-dress  of  which 
is  a  buffalo's  head. 

ca'-ha-wi',  Little  Dog's  Dance.     The  men  form  a  circle,  and  the  women  dance  in  the  ring. 

Bi-tai'-hi-nin,  People  that  scrape  robes  (hi-tai'-hi,  an  instrument  for  scraping  robes).  Only 
the  men  join  ia  this  dance. 

A-tha-hu'-ha,  Foolish  Dog's  Dance.  This  dance  is  performed  by  a  band  of  young  men, 
about  the  same  age,  called  the  Foolish  Dogs. 

A-ha'-kai-nin,  Foolish  People,  is  a  band  of  young  men,  about  the  same  age.  At  one  time 
they  numbered  fifty  persons,  but  the  small-pox  reduced  them  to  about  thirty.  They  have 
a  dance  peculiar  to  themselves. 


9. 


NAMES   OF   INDIAN    TRIBES,    IIIVE11S,    ETC. 


nat-e-ne'-hin-a,  Dakotas,  people  that  cut  their  enemies 

heads  off,  cut  throats. 

a-i-nun',  Crow  people,  Crows;  a-i-na',  a  Crow,  Corvus. 
ka-wi'-na-han,  Blackfeet,  black  people, 
it-us-shi'-na,  Shyennes,  the  scarred  people,  from  their 

having  so  many  scars  on  their  arms  and  breasts, 
wa-tan'-a-hith-i,  black  people  (ith'-i,  people,  wa-ta'-ya, 

black), 
ni-ci'-he-nen-a,  water  men  or  people,  Kiowas  (ni-cT-a, 

water,  nen'-a,  a  man. 
ca'-tha,  Comanches.     The   Arapohos  formerly  called 

them  the  Snake  people,  but  they  now  call  them 

a  name   derived  from  the  fact  that  they  have 

plenty  of  horses, 
e-wu-lia'-wu-si,  Snakes ;  Sho'-sho-ni,  people  that  use 

grass  and  bark  for  their  lodges  or  huts, 
ah-i'-hi-nin,  Wolf  people,  Pawnees ;  ali-i',  a  wolf, 
ka'-nan-in,  people  whose  jaws  break  in  pieces,  Arickaras. 
ka-ka'-i-thi,  Flathead  people, 
thah-a-i-nin',  Apaches,  people  who  play  on  bone  in 


cut  in  one  of  the  bones,  the  other  is  rubbed  con 
tinually  backwards  and  forwards  over  it. 

to-i-nin'-a,  people  that  beg,  Gros  Venires  of  the  prairie, 
Atsinas. 

wa-nuk'-e-ye'-na,  Minnetarees,  lodges  planted  together. 

be-in-i-6i'-a,  Shell  River,  pearl  shells  used  in  trade, 
Platte. 

bas-ni-ci'-a,  Large  River,  Yellowstone. 

a-hai'-ni-ni-6i'-a,  Flint  River,  Arkansas. 

ni-nun'-i-ni-ci'-a,  Fat  River,  South  Platte. 

a-a-Tia'-i-te,  "  River  with  a  lone  house  on  it,"  Cache  la 
Poudre. 

i-shit'-cun-ni-ci'-a,  Deer  Creek,  Antelope  Creek. 

lia-liu'-i-sin-i-6i'-a,  Box-elder  Creek. 

i-nali'-in-i-6i'-a,  "  River  with  many  crossings,"  Sweet- 
water. 

thah-a'-ih-ut-un'-i,  Hammer  Mountains,  Medicine  Bow 
Mountains. 

o-i-nin-i-ni'-ni-a'-ha,  Crow  Mountains,  Big-horn  Moun 
tains. 


struraents.     Buffalo  ribs  are  used ;  notches  being       ce-than'-i-ci-a  (ce'-tha,  powder),  Powder  River. 


10. 

na-kah',  a^white  bear. 

wa-tai'-nali,  a  black  bear. 

wali '-a,  a  badger. 

is-i'-6a,  an  antelope. 

bi'-hi,  a  deer. 

a-ta',  a  big-horn,  mountain  sheep. 


NAMES    OF   ANIMALS,    PLANTS,    ETC. 
ali'-i, 

a-wa'-ta-tas, 

ka-a', 

ka-a-wo'-u, 

ai-wa-ta'-ka,  large  hare.     Lepus  campestris, 

na-wa-ta'-ka,  small  rabbit.     Lepus  artemisia. 


y  large  wolf. 
'>    ' 

prairie  or  medicine  wolf. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   YALLEY. 


327 


a-bas',  a  beaver. 

i'-ha-l'ia,  a  rnuskrat. 

si'-a,  a  weasel. 

ba-liu',  a  large  fox.      Vulpes  macrourus. 

no'-a-ha,  kit  fox.      Vulpes  velox. 

bah-un-i',  large  squirrel,  ground  hog.    Arctomys flavi- 

venter. 
lio-hoi'-yun-i,  spotted-backed  squirrel.    Spermophilus 

tridecem  lineatus. 

na-ii',  striped  squirrel.  Tamias  quadrivitlatus. 
<Sa-thun'-i,  prairie  dog.  Cynomys  ludovicianus. 
ca-thun'-i-si-a,  ground  weasel.  G.  Gunnisoni. 

I  spotted-backed  polecat, 
na-ku'-lia,   ) 

o'-hu,  porcupine. 

yeh,  otter. 

ba-lia-ku',  "large  rat."     Neotoma  cinerea. 

ka-ka'-sa-ni,  "  scar  bird,"  so  called  from  the  spots  on 

the  head,  which   look   like   scars.      Charadrius 

montana. 
sus-ku'-it-o,  a  ground  sparrow,  a  bird  that  frequents 

the  edge  of  a  stream  or  bank, 
tuth'-e-i-the'-ka-na,  "a  bird  that  the  heron  carries  on 

its  back ;"  from  tuth'-e,  a  heron,  and  i-the'-ka-na, 

to  carry  on  the  back, 
a-wuth'-na-ku'-we-e,  white-nosed  duck.    Mergus  Ame- 

ricanus. 
ba-bi-thin'-a-he,  "  little  red-winged  bird."    Leucosticte 

tephrocotis, 

bas-nak-than',  a  bush  growing  near  Fort  Bridger,  and 
used  by  the  Arapohos  as  kinnic-kinnic. 

ni-ha-na'-i-na,  "yellow  flower."  Ranunculus  ylaber- 
rimus. 

6a-nat'-an-a-i'-na,  "  blue  flower,"  blue  bell.  Mertensia 
Virginica. 

ca-e'-i-hi,  "  wild  potatoes."     Dicentra. 


i-tuli -ii'-u,  "  sharp  leaves ;"  a  small  species  of  Phlox. 

i.-6un'-i,  pomme  blanche.     Psoralea  esculenta. 

ka-i-ya'-i-no,  "  yellow  flowers,  with  gum  on  them." 
Grindelia  squarrosa. 

sath-i'-win,  "  little  pine  berries,"  a  species  of  trailing 
Juniperus. 

bis-<5i'-hin,  a  species  of  Eriogonum,  growing  on  the 
gravelly  hills ;  word  derived  from  bi,  a  cow,  and 
di'-hin,  smoke,  buffalo  smoke,  a  weed  used  for 
smoking  meat. 

ni-cV-6ut-e,  a  chenopodiaeeous  shrub,  salty  weed  or 
shrub. 

ni-da'-in-a,  a  plant  growing  on  rocks  in  the  mountains. 

thi-kun-bi'-tun,  a  kind  of  moss,  "  dead  man's  porcupine 
work." 

bi-te-ba'-yak,  a  kind  of  ground  lichen. 

cl-wan-i'-na-ka'-si,  "  half  sage."   Artemisia  Canadense. 

si-si'-yi-wish,  "snake-bush."  Sarcolalus  vermicularis. 
Word  derived  from  si-si'-ye,  a  snake,  and  bish,  a 
bush. 

woli-u-lia'-bi-thi-it,  "bush  that  horses  eat."  Oliione 
canescens. 

ba-ce-wi'-she,  red  willow.     Cornus  sericea. 

it-a-he'-win-a,  "  hot  berries."  ArctoslapJiylos  uva-ursi. 
The  leaves  of  this  shrub  form  the  real  kinnic-kinnic 
of  the  Western  Indians,  which  they  mix  with  their 
tobacco  in  preference  to  the  leaves  or  bark  of  any 
other  plant.  The  bark  of  Cornus  sericea  is  used  as 
a  substitute  only  in  the  absence  of  the  A.  uva-ursi. 

sath,  common  pine.     Pinus  ponderosa. 
tha-ki'-sath,  spruce  pine.     Abies  Douglassi. 
a-hat',  sweet  cottonwood.     Populus. 
a-ha'-tin-wi'-tin,  bitter  cottonwood.     Populus. 
bi-tin'-a,  quaking  asp.     Populus. 
lia-hu'-is,  box  elder,  "the  hollow  wood."     Negundo 
aceroides. 


VOL.  xil. — 42 


328 


ON   THE    ETHNOGRAPHY  AND  PHILOLOGY   OF  THE 


CHAPTER    X. 


VOCABULARY  OF  THE  AKAPOIIO  LANGUAGE. 


A. 


above,  nan-ah-u'-it-e,  above,  up  the  river. 

afraid,  i-ni'-ah-a,  to  be  afraid. 

afterwards,  tali-u'-ii. 

again,  ci'-a,  again,  once  more. 

ago,  wa-ni'-hi,  not  long  ago. 

agreeable,  ya-ni-sat',  pleasant,  agreeable. 

ahead,  a-tha'-i-nin'-a,  before,  ahead. 

alive,  i-nin-ek'-ti-na,  to  be  alive. 

all,  a-nu'-it,  all,  the  whole. 

always,  c-nai'-yi-wu'-hu,  always,  forever. 

angry,  a-na-wilit',  to  be  angry. 

another,  a-na-thilit',  different,  another. 

antelope,  is-i'-ca. 

apples,  ka-hu'-win-a,  red  thorn  apples. 

arm,  in-ush',  his  arm. 

nen-ush',  my  arm. 

un-ush',  thy  arm. 

be-nuli'-a,  the  whole  arm. 

bath'-a-in'-a,  the  armpit, 
around,  ka'-i-naj  around  the  lodge. 
arrow,  ath. 

ath-i'  (pi.),  arrows, 
ne-nic',  my  arrow. 
e-ni6',  thy  arrow, 
in-ic',  his  arrow. 
ashamed,  a-tut-ilit',  modest,  ashamed. 

a-ti-ti'-na,  to  be  ashamed,  bashful, 
ashes,  <5e'-tha,  ashes,  the  same  name  as  powder, 
asp,  bi-tin'-a,  quaking  asp. 

assemblage,  a-e'-sa,  a  council,  an  assemblage  of  chiefs, 
assemble,  6i-wa'-a-nis'-a,  to  assemble  together. 
asunder,  na-ye'-si-he,  far  apart,  asunder, 
autumn,  ta-yu'-ni. 
away,  a-si'-sa,  to  go  away. 
axe,  a-ha-nali ',  an  axe. 

na-ta'-ha-nah',  my  axe. 

a-ta'-ha-nali',  thy  axe. 

it-a'-ha-nat',  his  axe. 

<5i-lio'-a-na,  hatchet,  axe. 

ka-lio'-i-te'-na-nah ,  a  ground-axe,  a  hoe. 


B. 


back,  na-ku'-lia,  spotted  back. 

tut-a',  back-bone  of  an  animal, 
i-thi-ka'-na,  to  carry  on  the  back. 
bad,  wa'-sa. 
badger,  wali'-a. 
bag,  ca-a-tha',  a  bag  or  sack, 
banks,  a-hut-a'-na,  banks  of  a  stream, 
bark,  ben-a'-bat,  to  bark  as  a  dog. 
beads,  ca-nat'-ai-yu. 
bear,  wali. 

na-kali ',  a  white  bear, 
wa-tai'-nali,  a  black  bear, 
beard,  bi-si-tin'-a-na. 
beat,  wat-e-ha'-ye,  to  beat  on  a  drum. 

ta-ta-win'-a,  to  beat,  as  to  beat  a  person, 
bottle,  den-ith'-ca,  a  glass  bottle,  vial, 
bottom,  i-tha'-be,  bottom  upwards. 
bow,  bat'-a,  a  bow. 

bat'-e  (pi.)?  bows, 
na-bat'-a,  my  bow. 
e-bat'-a,  thy  bow. 
i-bat'-a,  his  bow. 
bowels,  wa-nut'. 

box  elder,  l\a-liu'-is,  the  hollow  wood. 
boy,  ni-a-tho'-i-sa,  a  white  boy. 
brains,  i-tac,  brains  of  an  animal, 
brave,  ni-ha'-ha-niht',  to  be  brave,  courageous. 
break,  ka-i-na',  to  break  open. 

ta-wi-ku'-ti,  to  break  in  pieces. 
bridle,  ci-wi-te'-wi. 

bright,  i-ya'-a-na-kus'-a,  bright,  shining,  glistening. 
breast,  ali'-a-be. 
breathe,  a-wuth'-on,  to  breathe, 
brother,  ni-thi-sa',  my  brother. 

ni-thi-sa'-wa  (pi.),  my  brothers, 
in-a'-ha-wa,  his  elder  brother, 
na'-ha-va,  younger  brother, 
ko-hu'-ni'-sa,  half  brother, 
i-ni'-thi-san,  father's  brother, 
ya,  brother-in-law. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY. 


329 


na-ya',  my  brother-in-law, 
beaver,  a-bas'. 

a-bes'-na-yat',  a  beaver  trap, 
bed,  a'-a,  a  bed. 
beg,  ni-ta-win'-a,  to  beg. 
behind,  ka'-ba. 
belly,  in-ut'-a,  a  belly. 

na-nut',  my  belly. 
bend,  na-ho'-i-si'-na,  to  bend. 

na-nu'-i-sa,  to  bend  forward,  stooping. 

a-ba-ho'-a-ta,  a  bend  in  a  river  or  stream, 
berries,    it-a-he'-win-a,   hot   berries.     Arctostaphylos 

uva-ursi. 

bind,  di-ta-ya'-kut-i,  to  bind  up,  bandage, 
bite,  tai-yo-win'-a,  to  bite, 
bladder,  na-nis'. 
black,  wa-tai'-yo,  black. 

wa-ta'-nit,  it  is  black. 
blind,  nan-i'-na-kut,  to  be  blind,  blind, 
blood,  ba. 

ba-e'-ni,  bloody. 

ba-e'-nit,  to  bleed. 

na-nat'-i-o-it,  to  be  besmeared  with  blood. 
blow,  ci-ta'-thi,  to  blow,  as  the  wind, 
blue,  ca-net'-ai-yo,  fo-net'-oi-nit,  it  is  blue. 
board,  kun'-i-uh'-u-na,  a  board  for  cutting  tobacco, 
boat,  thi'-wa. 
body,  bet-un'-e-ya',  body. 

net-un'-e-ya',  my  body. 

et-un'-e-ya',  thy  body. 

it-un'-e-ya',  his  body, 
boggy,  oith-si-wa',  boggy,  marshy, 
boil,  a-na'-na-wak'-thi-nat,  to  boil  over,  as  water, 
bone,  ili. 
both,  an-i-shin'-a. 
to  brush,  ku-e-tith'-e-ha,  to  brush  away,  as  with  the 

hand, 
burn,  ka-ha'-lie,  to  burn  or  blaze,  as  fire. 

ba-tuli'-a-ha',  to  burn  anything, 
burst,  ka-na'-in-a,  to  burst  open, 
bury,  ka-tai'-yat,  to  bury,  as  the  dead, 
bush,  bish,  a  bush, 
buy,  a-ta'-na-ta,  to  buy,  purchase  anything. 


C. 
calf,  wa,  a  calf  turning  black,  or  six  months  old. 

wa'-u,  a  red  calf,  just  after  birth, 
candle,  ai'-se-ya,  a  light,  a  candle. 
care,  wa-ta',  take  care, 
careful,  ni-ya'-lio-in,  careful,  to  be  careful, 
cat,  beli-a'-ka,  a  wild  cat,  small  panther, 
cherries,  bi'-na. 

chew,  ses-i-ya'-ta,  to  chew  fine  with  the  teeth. 
child,  te-ya-na',  a  child. 

te-ya-na'-ha,  pi.  children. 

na-ni'-sa,  my  child. 

a-ni'-sa,  thy  child. 

i-ni'-sa,  his  child. 

a-te'-ya-ne-win'-a,  your  children. 

na-te'-ya-ne-win'-a,  our  children. 

it-e'-ya-ne-win'-a,  their  children. 

a-6i-hi'-sa,  a  child  just  born. 

a-si-nat',  to  give  birth  to  a  child. 

ni'-na,  sister's  child. 

a-tun-6in'-i-sit,  a  young  child,  soon  after  birth. 

• 

chin,  wa-tal'i'-a. 

wa-tah-an'-a,  pi.  chins. 

na-tah'-a,  my  chin. 

a-tali'-a,  thy  chin. 

i-tali'-a,  his  chin. 

choke,  a-thit',  to  choke,  to  be  choked  in  eating. 
cholera,  a-sit'-at,  sickness  in  the  belly, 
climb,  ou'-ha,  to  climb  a  tree. 
close,  i'-ce-wa,  close,  near  by. 
cloth,  wat-an'-i-hath-a'-yu,  black  cloth. 

wu'-it,  breechcloth. 
clouds,  a'-na. 

i-ni'-na-nai'-tu,  cloudy, 
i-na-nait',  moving  clouds. 
cluster,  ban-i'-ni,  a  bunch,  cluster,  as  of  beads  or 

grapes. 

coals,  wa-as',  burning  or  live  coals. 
coil,  a-hi-'-a,  to  curl  or  coil  about, 
coffee,  wa-tai'-yo. 

wa-tai'-na-wo,  coffee  for  drinking. 
comb,  c'a-ta-e'-hi,  to  comb  the  hair. 
come,  na-he'-ea,  come  here. 


330 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


ci'-te,  to  come  in. 

confusion,  na-tun'-a-ho'-na,  trouble,  confusion, 
cook,  bi-thi-ba',  to  cook  food. 

cool,  ta'-a-ta,  to  cool  anything  that  is  hot,  by  blowing. 
cord,  san'-ak,  cord,  twine,  thread, 
cottonwood,  a-hat',  sweet  cottonwood. 

a-ha'-tin-wi'-tin,  bitter  cottonwood. 
cough,  i-shi-si'-ve. 
count,  na-ye'-thi,  to  count, 
countenance,  tali'-a-wi'-un-e,  face,  countenance, 
court,  ne-wi'-a,  to  court  a  girl,  courting, 
cousin,  na'-si,  male  cousin. 

na-tha'-the,  female  cousin, 
cow,  bi,  a  cow. 

bi'-hi,  pi.  cows. 

cowardly,  kun-a-nit'-ut,  cowardly,  easily  scared. 
crack,  ta-ta-nat'-a,  to  crack,  as  the  ground. 

ko-liuth'-an,  to  crack  or  snap  as  wood  burning, 
lia-ya-win'-a-a-te,  to  crack  with  the   teeth,  as 

lice. 

cramp,  i-nic-thin'-a-a-at,  the  cramp. 
crazy,  na-ni-sin'-o-at,  to  bo  crazy.  • 
creep,  6e-wa-ki'-sa,  to  creep  up  to,  or  approach,  as 

game. 

crooked,  na-ho'-is-a. 
crupper,  el-thi'-hi-na'-ya. 
cry,  ben-i-wa'-it. 

cup,  bas-na'-i-ni'-i-ben'-a,  a  drinking  vessel,  cup. 
currants,  ne-e'-win-a. 
cut,  na-lio-ci'-ah-a,  to  cut  up  fine, 
di-ali-a',  to  cut  slices, 
na-lii-ha',  to  cut  notches,  notched, 
ba-ya-ka'-ali-a,  to  cut  in  two  in  the  middle. 

D. 
dance,  bet-at',  to  dance. 

ca-a-tit',  a  scalp  dance, 
daughter,  na-ta'-na,  my  daughter. 

i-si'-ni-shi-a,  my  granddaughter, 
at-a-net'-a-ni-ha,  an  adopted  daughter, 
na-siv',  my  daughter-in-law, 
day,  i'-shi. 

6in-a-a'-kak,  daybreak. 
na-kus-e<5,  daylight. 


thun'-a-tha-ni'-se,  about  the  middle  of  the  day. 
debility,  i-a-nat'-i-hu'-in,  weary  with  heat,  debility  on 

a  hot  day. 

deaf,  a-ye'-ci-ta,  hard  of  hearing,  deaf, 
decayed,  tha-nu'-sa,  rotten,  decayed, 
deceive,  nan-ta'-yi,  to  tell  a  lie,  to  deceive, 
deep,  ta'-wi,  deep,  as  water, 
deer,  bi'-hi,  a  deer. 

wa-tan-bi'-hi,  black-tailed  deer. 

a'-tha-wa-ni'-hi,  white-tailed  deer, 
die,  na-ea',  to  die. 

a-tun'-i-cin-a,  we  will  die. 
dig,  koli-o-ha',  to  dig  in  the  ground. 
dirty,  ce-hath'-a,  to  be  dirty,  as  a  gun. 
disappointed,  ci-ni-ith'-ca-na,  sorry,  disappointed, 
discouraged,   how-wu'-it-a,   to  be   discouraged,   dis 
heartened. 

distance,  ci-ni-l'ia'-i-te,  a  long  distance, 
ditch,  ben'-i-tha-ka'-ne,  a  ditch,  hollow,  ravine, 
dive,  i-i-ka'-hu,  to  dive  as  a  duck  under  the  water. 
divide,  ce'-a-na,  to  divide, 
dizzy,  ne-in-e'-na,  to  be  dizzy,  lightheaded. 
do,  6in-in-in'-i,  I  cannot  do  it. 
dog,  eth,  a  dog. 

eth'-e-wi  (pi.),  dogs. 

na-ha-ta'-ni,  my  dog. 

ka-ha-tai-ni,  thy  dog. 
double,  a-wai'-e-na,  to  double  up. 
dream,  ka-nat',  a  dream. 

ka-na'-na,  to  dream, 
drink,  na-a-ben',  to  drink,  as  water. 
drive,  a-ta-ha',  to  drive  in,  as  tent-pins. 
drop,  <5a-ni-a',  a  drop,  as  of  water, 
drown,  na-ta-ka'-nat,  to  drown,  to  be  drowned, 
drunk,  nan-si'-he-wi,  to  get  drunk, 
dry,  ni-ha-na'-ta. 
duck,  si'-si6,  a  duck. 

dull,  i-ha'-o-eV-ya-nis,  dull,  blunt,  not  sharp, 
dusk,  ta-wa'-be-ni'-hi-ya. 
dust,  ka-na-a'-i-ta-si. 
dye,  bali-o-hai'-yi,  to  dye  or  color  red  or  scarlet. 

E. 
eagle,  nat-sa'-i,  bald  eagle. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY. 


331 


in-a-kuth'-un-it,  the  war  eagle. 
ear,  wun-a-tun'-a,  the  ear. 

bi-hi'-hali,  a  mule,  big  ears, 
earth,  bi-ta'-wa,  earth,  dirt. 

a-mu'-it-bi'-ta-wa,  all  the  earth,  all  the  prairie. 
eat,  a-ta'-wi-thi'-na,  to  eat. 
echo,  bat-ath-u'-ni-tu'-hi-nith,  an  echo, 
elk,  wuli'-a,  a  female  elk. 

wuh'-a-he,  a  male  elk. 
elbow,  i-ei-a'-na. 
empty,  ou-it-dai'-es,  to  be  empty, 
end,  na-nali'-u,  the  end  of  anything, 
enemy,  ct-sha-the'-win,  an  enemy,  of  a  hostile  nation, 
envious,  i-ni-a-ya-thin'-a,  to  be  jealous  or  envious, 
equal,  tu-se-na',  to  be  equal,  equal  to. 
esteem,  na-tan-at'-a-wa,  to  esteem  highly,  to  think  well 

of  any  one. 

evening,  ith-o-ak',  in  the  evening. 
expect,  ais-tha-ea'-na,  I  expect  so. 
explain,  na-tith'-i-ca-win,  to  explain  anything, 
eye,  besh-i'-se,  an  eye. 

nesh-i'-se,  my  eye. 

esh-i'-sc,  thy  eye. 

ish-i'-se,  his  eye. 

6i-ni'-wak-ut,  squint-eyed,  cross-eyed. 

na-kak',  white-eyed.  , 

na-u'-i-sa,  to  shut  the  eyes. 

ka'-na-ki,  to  open  the  eyes. 

V, 

fan,  na-nas-i'-ha-wa,  a  fan. 

na-nas'-i-ha,  to  fan  oneself, 
fall,  6a-ni'-sa,  to  fall  down,  as  any  object, 
fasten,  a-ta'-ha,  to  fasten,  as  a  door, 
father,  ni-lia',  father. 

ni-sun'-a,  my  father. 

e-sun'-a,  thy  father. 

i-sun'-a,  his  father. 

na-shith'-a,  my  father-in-law. 
feast,  na-o'-het-e,  to  call  to  a  feast, 
fence,  ni-tha-liai'-ya,  to  make  a  fence, 
fill,  i-ha'-ka-ha,  to  fill  the  pipe, 
find,  ben-i-in'-a,  to  find, 
fingers,  ba-<'-it'-in. 


wah'-a,  finger  nails. 
fire,  sta. 

i-shit'-a,  a  fire-place,  fire-bed. 

ai'-6is,  a  fire-steel, 
fish,  neb,  a  fish. 

na'-wa,  pi.  fishes. 
flat,  sa'-a. 

flavor,  ni-ya-ni'-6it-a,  taste,  flavor, 
float,  na-wo'-a,  to  float,  as  upon  water. 
flock,  nath-i-tuk'-a,  a  flock,  a  herd. 
flower,  na'-i-na. 
fly,  ca-wi'-at,  to  fly,  as  a  bird, 
fold,  ni-si'-ta-na,  to  fold,  as  cloth, 
follow,  tha-ku'-i-na,  to  follow  after  one. 
foolish,  a-ha-kai'-nit,  to  be  foolish. 
foot,  na-lie'-tan,  my  foot. 
ford,  ni-i'-ta-ka'-ni,  a  ford,  crossing. 

a-kai'-e,  to  cross,  as  a  stream,  to  ford, 
forehead,  ni-tali'-a-wi. 
forget,  na-ni'-hi-no,  to  forget. 
forked,  ni-su'-ni,  forked,  as  a  stick  or  stream, 
fountain,  ali-ub',  a  spring  or  fountain, 
fox,  ba-liu',  a  large  fox. 

no'-a-ha,  kit  fox,  animals  that  come  out  of  holes, 
to  freeze,  ni-a'-ta,  to  freeze,  as  ice. 
friend,  ni-tai-he',  my  friend. 

ni-ni-tai'-eth-e'-c'at,  to  be  friendly. 
frog,  ci-nat'-an-a'-ka-be,  a  green  frog, 
full,  a-na-tha'-a-he,  to  be  full. 

G. 

gallop,  na-ha'-kut-e,  to  gallop,  as  a  horse, 
gashes,  i-tus',  to  cut  gashes,  to  make  marks  in  the  flesh, 
gather,  a-no'-i-tun-6i-ni'-na,to  collect  or  gather  together. 
get,  ko-hai'-e,  to  get  up. 
girdle,  ka-ya'-ta,  girdle  or  belt. 
girl,  is-i'-he. 

is-i'-hi-ha,  pi.  girls. 
give,  a-ta-wi'-ni-thin,  to  give. 

a-tun-be'-no,  to  give,  to  bestow  for  nothing. 
glad,  bab-i-in'-a,  to  be  glad. 

a-tha-wa'-wi-in-a,  I  am  glad, 
gnaw,  lia-li  a-yu'-it,  to  gnaw. 
go,  na'-e,  to  go  out. 


332 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


a-si  -sa,  go  away. 

a-tha'-na-na-wi'-a-ta-si,  to  go  against  the  wind, 
gonorrhoea,  ba-ha'-kai-ya. 
good,  i'-tha-ti. 

i-tha-ti-hi',  pretty  (intensive  form). 
goose,  na. 

tuh-u-wi'-na,  gooseberries. 
gopher,  ci-tat'-si-hi. 
grapes,  ta-ta'-ci-wiu'-a,  grapes,  berries  that  grow  on 

vines, 
grass,  woli -u'-i-na. 

ni-ah'-u,  sweet-smelling  grass. 
ni-a-ce'-he,  a  grasshopper, 
se-na-se-yat'-a,  to  graze,  to  eat  grass,  like  cattle. 
gravel,  di-hi-na'-kai-na,  gravel,  earth, 
grease,  ni-nun'-i. 

grind,  mo-ku'-i-ti,  to  grind,  as  coffee, 
ground,  i-tha'-ba-bi'-ta-wu,  in  the  ground. 

ta-shi-bi'-ta-wu,  on  the  ground. 
grow,  bi-shi'-a-ha,  to  grow,  as  grass. 
growl,  ses-ilit',  to  growl  like  a  dog,  or  a  cross  person. 
gum,  ku'-i-ya,  a  gum  or  resin, 
gun,  ka-kil'i',  a  short  gun. 

ni-si-ti'-ne-na,  a  double-barrelled  gun. 
ha-lia-it'-in-an,  a  rifle-gun,  one  with  creases   in 

the  inside  of  the  barrel, 
na-sa',  a  gun-flint. 

H. 

hackberry,  na-tai'-ye-ci-wish. 
hair,  bi-tha-a'. 

bi-tha-a'-na,  (pi.) 
ne-tha-a',  my  hair, 
e-tha-a',  thy  hair, 
in-i'-tha-a,  his  hair. 
6i'-nan,  all  kinds  of  hair, 
half,  ka-u'-he,  half  of  anything, 
hammer,  thali-a',  a  stone  hammer,  to  drive  pins. 
hand,  ba-6et',  the  hand, 
na-cet',  my  hand, 
a-cet',  thy  hand, 
i-cet',  his  hand, 
ba-cet'-in-a  (pi.),  hands. 


ba-wa-tha-ta-wi'-na,  to  wave  the  hand. 

ka-hu-it-o'-i-no-wat,  a  handful, 
hard,  bath'-a. 

hasten,  na-ha-ni',  to  hasten,  to  be  in  a  hurry. 
he  or  it,  in'-it. 
head,  i-ni'-thi-a. 

i-ni'-thi-a'-na  (pi.),  heads, 
health,  nat-un-a-jV. 
hear,  ni-tun'-a,  to  hear, 
heart,  bet'-a. 

bet'-a-ha  (pi.),  hearts. 

net'-a,  my  heart. 

at'-a,  thy  heart. 

it'-a,  his  heart. 

hiccough,  i-tha-nat',  to  hiccough, 
hide,  ya-ti',  to  hide  from,  to  conceal  anything, 
high,  ea-o'-it-a,  high,  anything  high, 
hill,  ca-ut'-e-yu,  a  hill. 

na-ha-hu'-he,  up  hill, 
cen-a-hu'-he,  down  hill, 
ali'-a-bi,  a  side  hill, 
hiss,  si-win'-a,  to  hiss, 
holes,  (ii-nat-un'-a-ti,  full  of  holes, 
horn,  ni'-nis. 

a-ta',  big-horn. 
horse,  woli'-a-hali,  a  horse. 

wol'i'-a-hah'-a-wi  (pi.),  horses. 

na-ta'-ni,  my  horse. 

a-ta'-ni,  thy  horse. 

i-ta'-ni,  his  horse. 

na-ta-ni'-ha,  my  horses. 

a-ta-ni'-ha,  thy  horses. 

i-ta-ni'-ha,  his  horses. 

na-kit',  a  white  horse. 
house,  a-a'-wi. 

ya-huth'-it-ni'-na,  a  good  house. 

<5i-ta-wu',  in  the  house, 
how  is  it  ?  to-shi'-hi. 
hungry,  ash-i-nan'-a,  to  be  hungry, 
hunt,  i-na'-e,  to  hunt,  as  for  game. 
•  husband,  il\. 

nas,  my  husband, 
hush,  te-ta-nuk'-u,  hush  !  be  still ! 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


333 


I. 

I,  nen-an'-a. 

ice,  wa'-o. 

implements,  ci'-na-te,  tools,  implements. 

inquire,  ta-ti'-na,  to  inquire,  to  ask  a  question. 

iron,  be-cith'-a. 

na-ku'-wi-cith'-a,  white  iron,  silver. 

ni-ha-ni-be-cith'-a,  yellow  iron,  brass. 

ba-ali'-a,  red  iron,  copper. 
itch,  yun-eis'-it-sha,  to  itch. 


J. 


jump,  cen'-a-a,  to  jump. 

K. 

kick,  tali'-un-a,  to  kick,  as  dust. 
kidney,  ti'-thith. 
kill,  ne-hin'-a,  to  kill, 
kindred,  in-i-ni'-tun-a,  family,  kindred, 
knee,  ba-ca-e'-tai-yi. 

ba-6a-e'-tai-yi-ili'-o-na,  kneepan,  patella, 
knife,  wali'-a. 

wali'-a-ha,  (pi.) 
knock,  tat-a'-ta,  to  knock,  as  on  a  door. 

L. 

i 

lake,  ni-ac',  a  little  lake  or  pond, 
lame,  <$i-ni-iht'. 
large,  ben-a'-sa,  great,  large, 
ben-a-si'-tha,  very  large, 
na-ath-i'-a,  so  large. 
lariat,  a-ni-tha'-tan. 
last,  tah'-sa,  last,  youngest, 
lately,  wa-ni'-hi,  lately,  a  little  while  ago. 
laugh,  a-lio'-an,  to  laugh, 
laziness,  tha-nu'-it,  lazy, 
lead,  ka-ku'-ya-na'-thi,  balls,  lead, 
leaf,  bi-6ish',  a  leaf  of  a  tree, 
leak,  thi-ni-i'-kut-e,  to  leak,  as  a  vessel  of  water. 
lean,  ni-ha'-shi,  to  lean  against  anything, 
leg,  be-6a',  the  leg. 

be-ca'-wa  (pi.),  legs. 

ne-da',  my  leg. 

e-cY,  thy  leg. 


it-cV,  his  leg. 
w.a-a'-ta,  the  whole  leg. 
leggins,  wa-ta'. 

lend,  ni-ca'-ta-nan-an,  to  lend  anything, 
lengthwise,  ba-ya-tha'-tha-ni-hi. 
less,  ni-ta-ci'-i-ni. 

lick,  ni-sa-ta',  to  lick,  as  with  the  tongue, 
light,  wut-un'-e,  to  make  or  light  a  fire, 
lightning,  ci-ha'-ko-hu'-it,  to  lighten,  lightning, 
like,  bi-lia'-tha,  to  be  like  to,  like  anything, 
lip,  is'-is. 

listen,  ci-hath'-te,  to  listen, 
little,  a-ka-di'-hu. 
lizard,  san-i'-wa,  a  rock  lizard, 
load,  bi-na-tha',  to  load  up,  as  horses, 
lodge,  ne-i-nun',  a  lodge  or  tent. 

ne-i-nun'-a  (pi.),  lodges. 

na-ye'-i-hi,  my  lodge. 

a-yc'-i-hi,  thy  lodge. 

i-ye'-i-hi,  his  lodge. 

na-ye-hin'-a,  our  lodges. 

a-ye-hin'-a,  your  lodges. 

i-ye-hin'-a,  their  lodges. 

ne-i-nun'-a-ben-e'-ni-se',  only  two  lodges. 

shi'-sin-a,  to  take  down  the  lodge. 

i'-tan,  a  cluster  of  lodges,  a  village. 

i-sa'-a-ta,  the  door  or  entrance  to  the  lodge. 

a-kali'-in,  lodge-poles. 

nith-nu'-it-a-6ith'-it-a,  the  hole  in  the  top  of  the 

lodge  for  the  smoke  to  pass  out. 
look,  na-ni',  look  here ! 
lose,  a-nuth-i'-na,  to  lose  anything. 

an-i-ti'-na,  lost. 

loud,  a-nun'-a-un-et'-i,  to  speak  loud, 
loved,  bi-lia'-tha,  I  am  loved. 
low,  ta-ko'-it-a,  low,  low  down. 
lungs,  i-kun'-a,  lungs,  lights. 

M. 

magpie,  wo-u'-he. 

make,  nish'-ti,  to  make  anything,  to  form, 
man,  in-en',  a  man. 

in-en'-a  (pi.),  men. 

ni-a'-tha,  a  white  man. 


334 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


married,  ni-wi'-na,  to  be  married,  to  take  a  wife, 
meat,  wa-na-se'-na,  fresh  meat. 

a'-wa-na,  dried  meat. 
medicine,  woli'-in,  medicine  or  mystery. 

bat'-at,  a  medicine-man, 
melt,  ta6'-liu-ha,  to  melt,  as  lead, 
middle,  na-i-thi',  in  the  middle, 
midnight,  na-hi-thi'-tut-6i. 
mine,  ni-nis'-tat  (pronoun), 
mire,  ka'-thi-6a,  miry,  muddy. 

kath-<5i'-si,  to  mire,  to  get  stuck  in  the  mud. 
mist,  cin-i-a-sa',  mist,  fine  rain. 
mix,  nali'-ut-i,  to  mix,  mingle  together. 
moccasins,  wa'-na. 

more,  ni-has'-i-ni,  more,  over,  more  than, 
morning,  na-ku'-se<5,  this  morning, 
mother,  na'-a. 

ne'-na,  my  mother. 

e'-na,  thy  mother. 

i'-na,  his  mother. 

na-he'-ha,  my  wife's  mother. 

na-tus'-i-ha'-ni-wa,  my  wife's  grandmother, 
mould,  ni-na-ku'-si,  mould,  mouldy, 
mountain,  a'-he. 

a'-he-ni  (pi.),  mountains. 
mourn,  as-e'-shit,  to  mourn  for  the  dead, 
mouse,  a-ku',  a  rat  or  mouse, 
mouth,  bet'-i. 

bet'-i-na  (pi.),  mouths. 

net'-i,  my  mouth. 

et'-i,  thy  mouth. 

i'-ti,  his  mouth. 

ni-thi-a'-ta-wa-ni,  a  mouthful, 
mud,  ali-ush'. 
niuskrat,  i-lia-l\a,  named  from  the  melt  in  cattle. 

N. 

name,  a-si'-hit,  a  name,  names  of  persons. 
navel,  ith,  both. 
neck,  bes-un'-a,  the  neck. 

nes-un'-a,  my  neck. 

es-un'-a,  thy  neck. 

is-un'-a,  his  neck. 

wai-e'-nun-a,  a  necklace  of  beads,  &c. 


never,  a-ti-na'-a-sin',  never,  ever, 
night,  bi-ka'. 
no,  ci-ni'-ni. 

ka-ko'-yun,  nowhere. 

nodding,  ni-si'-nun-ai'-a-ha'-na,  nodding  as  in  sleep. 
nose,  besh,  the  nose. 

be'-tha  (pi.),  noses. 

nesh,  my  nose. 

esh,  thy  nose. 

ish,  his  nose. 

na-ho-ish'-i-va,  crooked  nose. 

ni-i'-wa,  to  blow  the  nose. 
nothing,  i-ka-ku'-a. 
now,  i-wan'-ha. 
numb,  ben'-i-sa-nu'-kut-i,  numb,  stiff  with  cold. 

0. 

obey,  i-tha-wat'-a-ni,  to  be  obedient,  to  obey. 
oftentimes,  ni-hou'. 
old,  ba-a-ye'. 
one,  na-na-ye'-shi-ni,  each  one. 

ta-na'-ni-si-thet'-6at,  neither  one. 
in-i-6a'-sa,  the  other  one. 
only,  ben-e'. 

ooze,  ta-sa-6i',  to  ooze  out,  as  sap  from  trees. 
open,  ta-tin'-a,  to  open,  as  the  mouth. 

ka-nin'-a,  to  open,  to  make  an  opening  in  any 
thing. 

ka-nit'-a-na,  open  the  door  yourself, 
ornaments,  6e'-ta-na,  ear-rings,  or  ornaments, 
orphan,    e-nuh-u'-i-sa,    an    orphan,    fatherless    and 

motherless. 

overhead,  i-6i'-wa-ni'-than,  overhead,  above, 
overtake,  wa-ni-ta'-wa,  to  overtake  one  in  travelling. 
owl,  bath-i',  an  owl. 

P. 

pace,  ba-he'-kut-e,  to  pace,  as  a  horse, 
pack,  i-ni'-nuli-it,  a  pack,  a  load, 
paddle,  i-thu-ha',  to  paddle  a  canoe, 
paint,  ha-ha',  to  paint, 
parch,  ka-ye-na',  to  parch,  as  corn  or  coffee. 
parfleche,  o-wa'-na. 
pass,  ni-the-na',  to  pass  the  pipe. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


335 


passionate,  £i-ni-no'-wu-it,  to   be  passionate,  to  get 

angry  quickly. 
peace,  i-ni'-tai-wa'-na,  a  peace. 

na-ti-ni'-tai-wa'-na,  to  make  a  peace, 
peel,  ka-ku'-i-na,  to  peel,  as  bark. 

cin-ali'-a,  to  pare,  to  peel  off,  as  the  rind, 
perhaps,  nah-u'-i-he,  perhaps,  maybe, 
pheasant,  na-na'-be-6en'-a,  drumming  pheasant, 
bas-cen-an',  wild  turkey,  spotted-wing. 
pick,  ka'-i-ye,  to  pick,  as  berries. 

ku-i-tan-a',  to  pick  off,  as  a  scab. 

ba-lia-ku'-na,  to  pick  off,  as  ears  of  corn  from  a 

stalk. 

pinch,  a-lio'-as-i-na,  to  pinch, 
pine,  sath,  a  pine.     Pinus. 
tha-ki'-sath,  spruce  pine, 
ba-thi'-na,  and  to-sath',  Junipcrus. 
pipe,  e-da,  a  pipe. 

e-cY-ha-na  (pi.),  pipes, 
na-ti-ca',  my  pipe, 
a-ti-ca',  thy  pipe, 
i-ti-ca',  his  pipe, 
a-ti-ca'-a'-nin,  your  pipe. 
i-ti-6a'-en'-a,  their  pipe. 
pity,  a-we'-nun-i,  to  take  pity  on  one. 
plain,  i-tha-be',  a  level  plain.  , 

plan,  tas-6i'-ni-na,  to  plan  anything, 
plenty,  wa-na'-the,  a  plenty. 

wa-na-the'-thi  (intensive  form  of  the  above),  a 

great  number  or  quantity. 

plough,  bi-ta-wu-ni'-tha-ku,  a  plough,  a  ground-breaker 
plums,  ba-si'-win-a. 

point,  ni-thi-so'-hai-a,  to  point  with  the  finger  or  hand, 
poor,  a-ci'-ni-na-ni'-ni,  poor  in  flesh, 
pounce,  ith-ku'-te,  to  seize  or  pounce  on  anything, 
pound,  is-tha'-ba,  to  pound  fine. 

ha-ya'-lie,  to  pound  or  crush,  as  bones, 
pour,  e-ta-na',  to  pour  out,  as  water, 
powder,  cV-tha. 

praise,  bi-with-tun'-a,  praise,  compliments. 
prairie,  i-tha-wu'. 
to  prick,  kut-a-ha',  to  prick  with  a  pin. 

tha-wut'-a-ta-ka'-it,  to  prick  up  the  ears,  as  a 

horse. 
VOL.  xii. — 43 


pride,  i-sit',  pride,  to  be  proud. 

prisoner,  wa-wa-c-na',  a  prisoner,  captive. 

pull,  ka-nan'-a,  to  pull  out  the  hair  from  the  skin. 

ka-ku'-na,  to  pull  in  pieces, 
push,  un-ku'-i-ti,  to  push  down. 

ka-ha-e'-na,  to  push  aside,  to  separate,  as  high 

grass, 
put,  ci'-tha-wi,  to  put  on,  as  clothes. 

ka'-wo,  to  put  anything  in  the  mouth. 
na-6e',  to  put  up  the  lodge. 

Q. 

quick,  na-hu'-hu,  to  be  quick,  in  a  hurry, 
quiver,  di-tuth'-a,  a  quiver  for  arrows. 

bali-a'-ka-6i-tuth'-a,  a  panther-skin  quiver. 

bali-a'-ka,  a  panther. 

R. 
rabbit,  ai-wa-ta'-ka,  a  large  rabbit. 

na-wa-ta'-ka,  small  rabbit,  left,   or   not   pure 

breed, 
rain,  a-na'-sa. 

a-sa'-ti-nit,  it  rains. 

na-yat',  a  rainbow,  the  Great  Spirit's  fishing-line, 
ramrod,  ci-ta-hai'. 

rattle,  koli '-un-a-ku'-i-te,  to  ring  or  rattle  anything, 
ravine,  ka-ha'-wo-e,  a  ravine  or  hollow  among  the 

hills. 

reach,  6e-ti',  to  reach  out  the  hand,  to  take  anything. 
red,  ba-a'. 

ba-ilit',  it  is  red. 
relationship,  i-ni'-ta-in. 
rest,  tai-yu-nu'-shi,  to  rest,  to  take  rest, 
revenge,  wa-wa-ni'-shi-ni'-tai-wa,  to  get  revenge, 
rib,  i-ca'-na,  ribs  of  any  animal, 
rich,  ni-thai'-ye-ti,  to  be  rich, 
ride,  ta-hu'-ki,  to  ride,  as  a  horse, 
ring,  ni-h'a-nath'-a-tha,  finger-ring. 
rip,  ta-tin'-a,  to  rip. 
river,  ni-cT-a,  a  river. 

ni-ci'-a-he,  a  little  river, 
road,  na-na'-ca-ba',  milky  way,  white  road, 
roast,  a-ku'-ha,'  to  roast. 
robe,  na'-6a,  a  buffalo  robe. 


336 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


rock,  a-bet'-a-na'-ka,  a  large  rock. 

ni-ha'-na-na'-ka;  yellow   rock,  rock   with  thick 

moss  on  it. 

roll,  ta-tu6-ku'-i-te,  to  roll,  as  a  ball  or  stone. 
root,  the'-ci,  roots  of  a  tree  or  a  bush, 
rough,  tha'-thi-a,  rough,  uneven. 

e-tus-shi'-ne-et,  pimpled,  rough, 
round,  6a-a',  round,  as  a  ball, 
rub,  i-tha-ha',  to  rub  anything, 
run,  ceth'-ko-ha,  to  run. 

di-wa'-a,  to  rush  on,  to  make  an  attack. 

S. 
sacrifice,  bi-ta'-tha,  to  make  a  sacrifice  to  the  Great 

Spirit. 

saddle,  a-ka-ali'. 
saliva,  ku-i-thai'-yat,  spittle,  saliva. 

ku-i-thai'-ye,  to  spit. 
salt,  ni-6a'-o. 
same,  na-a-thu',  the  same. 

ni-sti-ath-i'-a,  of  the  same  size. 
sand,  na'-ba. 

satisfied,  ni-ith-i-ca'-na,  to  be  satisfied,  to  have  enough. 
scalp,  bi-thcs'. 

scattered,  ni-e-i-ni'-hi,  scattered  about, 
scorch,  a-ku'-he,  to  scorch,  as  meat  held  over  a  fire, 
scrape,  a-na-liu'-lia-ha,  to  scrape. 

bi-tai'-hi,  an  instrument  for  scraping  robes. 

wuth-ta'-the-a,  to  scrape  off  with  the  foot. 
scratch,  6es-ca'-a,  a  scratch  on  any  part, 
kot'-cin,  to  scratch, 
na-liu'-a,  to  scratch  with  the  foot. 
secretly,  nes-ta-ni'-hi,  secretly,  slyly,  covertly, 
sell,  at-ni-a-tan'-a-na,  to  sell  anything, 
sensible,  a-eht',  to  be  sensible,  to  have  good  sense, 
sew,  ko-i-ya-ta',  to  sew  on  a  patch, 
shake,  ka-kun'-ku-i-ti,  to  shake,  to  clean  by  shaking, 
shell,  a-hi',  a  mussel-shell.      Unio. 

a-hi'-ha,  small  shells. 

shelter,  tu-ka-ha',  a  shelter,  covering,  booth, 
shield,  a-ci'-hi,  a  shield. 

a-eY-hi-na  (pi.),  shields. 

ni-ta'-ci-hi,  my  shield. 

a-ta'-<5i-hi,  thy  shield. 


i-ta'-ci-hi,  his  shield, 
shine,  na'-ha-e,  to  glisten,  to  shine, 
shirt,  bi-l'm'-it. 
shoe,  na-a'-na,  a  shoe. 

ne-ni-na-a'-na,  a  man's  shoe, 
is-i-na-a'-na,  a  woman's  shoe, 
bih-a'-na,  snow-shoe, 
shoot,  6e-ba',  to  shoot. 
shore,  sus-hith',  on  or  along  the  shore, 
shoulder,  te'-ya. 

shut,  a-wet-in'-a,  to  shut,  as  the  mouth, 
sick,  na'-ko-wi,  to  be  sick. 
side,  na-sit'-ath-an'-i-ni,  on  one  side, 
ali'-a-na,  on  the  other  side. 
6a'-thi,  on  the  outside, 
ci-tal'i'-a-na,  on  this  side, 
i-tun-i'-hi,  on  both  sides. 
signs,  bath-sa'-win,  to  make  signs  to  any  one. 
bath-sa'-hai-e,  to  make  signs. 
ben-ath-sa'-hai-e,  to  make  signs  at  a  distance, 
sing,  ni-be',  to  sing. 

ni-ba'-ti-na,  a  song. 
sink,  e-nu'-wo-a,  to  sink,  as  in  water, 
sister,  na-tus'-i,  my  sister. 

na-tus-i'-wa  (pi-),  my  sisters. 
na-tus'-i-wa,  younger  sister. 
ka-hu'-e-na-tus-i,  half  sister, 
ni-thub'-i,  sister-in-law, 
sit,  ce-nuk'-a,  to  sit  down, 
skilful,  ni-tha'-wa-tc,  skilful,  smart. 
skim,  <5i-na'-ka-ha,  to  skim  off,  as  grease  on  a  pot. 
skin,  ya-des'-ci-liu'-in,  irritation  of  the  skin  when  heated 

by  the  fire, 
sleep,  na-ka'-it,  to  sleep. 

na-wun'-in,  sleepy,  drowsy, 
slip,  i-lia-lm'-ci-hi-shi,  to  slip, 
small,  na-ath'-i-u,  so  small. 

a-ka-di'-u-hu-hu,  very  small, 
smell,  a-ben-a'-to-wa,  to  smell. 
smoke,  6e'-i-ta. 

ka-na'-ta,  smoky. 
i-shi-a'-lia-ha,  to  smoke  a  skin, 
smooth,  a-shi'-thi-ya,  to  make  smooth. 

i-ha'-li a-nan-a,  to  smooth  down,  as  the  hair. 


INDIAN    TRIBES  OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


337 


snake,  si-si'-ye. 

snarled,  ci-ni'-na-eT-ya,  tangled  up,  snarled  as  thread. 

sneeze,  i-thi'-vi,  to  sneeze. 

snow,  i,  snow. 

ben-a'-6i,  it  snows. 

soak,  ni-o-i-thi'-ti,  to  soak  a  skin,  preparatory  to  dress 
ing  it. 

ni-a-ka'-nat-i,  to  soak,  or  make  soft. 
soft,  sa-si-na',  soft,  tender,  as  meat. 
something,  a-i-thu'. 
somewhere,  a-e-to-hin'-i. 
son,  ne'-ha,  my  son. 

e'-ha,  thy  son. 

i'-ha,  his  son. 

ne-shi'-a,  my  grandson. 

e-shi'-a,  thy  grandson. 

in-i-shi'-a,  his  grandson. 

na-thali',  my  son-in-law. 

a-tun'-i-hc-wa,  an  adopted  son. 
soon,  na-ha-ni'-hi,  soon,  after  a  while, 
sore,  wa-lia'-lia-nat,  sores  on  the  body,  small-pox, 
sonp,  a-kuk',  broth,  soup. 
sour,  ya-sis'-i-nak-dat. 

source,  ath-ai'-sin,  at  the  head  or  source  of  a  stream, 
speak,  ka-an-a'-i-net'-i,  to  speak  slow. 
spear,  ha-wa'.  i 

spill,  a-kush'-ku-te,  to  spill,  as  water, 
spirit,  ih-eT-wa-ni-a'-tha,  the  Great  Spirit,  half  white 

man. 

splinters,  an-an'-as-iht-a-sin'-en-a,  stuck  full  of  splin 
ters  or  briers, 
split,  ta-ti'-l'ia,  to  split, 
spoon,  a-wi'-ya,  a  spoon, 
sport,  ak-se-si'-hin-a,  to  play,  or  sport, 
spotted,  ka-kut-an'-i,  spotted,  speckled, 
spring,  ban-i-o-nu'-in. 

sprinkle,  e-6i'-i-ku'-te,  to  sprinkle,  as  water, 
squat,  thi-yuk'-a,  to  squat  down  on  the  ground, 
squeeze,  ni-6i'-na,  to  squeeze. 

tat-a-e'-na,  to  press  or  squeeze  the  hand, 
squirrel,  bali-un-i',  large  squirrel,  ground  hog. 
stab,  koh-o-hum',  to  stab  one  with  a  knife, 
stamp,  ta-lia',  to  stamp  in  pieces  with  the  foot. 
star,  a'-tha. 


starve,  as-na'-tin,  to  be  starving,  to  starve. 

steal,  a-wi'-ta,  to  steal. 

step,  a-ku'-hu,  to  put  the  foot  on,  to  step  on  anything. 

stick,  thi-a'-ku-te,  to  stick  or  thrust,  as  in  the  ground. 

still,  na-ni-tha'-ni,  still,  quiet,  to  be  silent. 

stingy,  <5i-ni-ka'-a-tili,  stingy,  covetous. 

stink,  woli'-a-ba,  to  stink,  to  become  putrid. 

stirrups,  ci-thi-uk'-in. 

stomach,  be-6at',  stomach. 

ne-6at',  my  stomach. 

e-6at',  thy  stomach. 

i-cat',  his  stomach, 
stone,  a-na'-ka. 
straight,  ba'-ya. 

hu-ben-a',  to  straighten,  make  straight,  as  a 

stick. 

strangle,  ni-ca'-na-wa-tha'-wa,  to  strangle,  to  suffocate, 
streaked,  ha-lia'-ye,  striped,  streaked, 
stretch,  thili-o-ha',  to  stretch,,  as  a  skin, 
strike,  ta-win'-a,  to  strike. 

kai-ye'-thi-ha,  to  strike  and  knock  loose,  as  a 

stake  or  pin. 
strong,  ti-ni-ilit'. 

a-tha'-na-tm'-i-in-a,  I  am  strong, 
stumble,  ta-ush'-i,  to  stumble, 
suck,  ni'-na,  to  suck,  as  a  child, 
sugar,  ni-sis'-6a. 
summer,  bid. 

• 

sun,  is-is'. 

bi-ku-sis',  night  sun,  the  moon, 
i-shish'-bi-set,  sunrise, 
na-is-et',  sunset. 

surround,  ali-o-in'-a,  to  make  a  surround,  as  of  buf 
falo. 

suspend,  o'-i-ti,  to  hang  up,  suspend  anything, 
swallow,  a-ta-wa-ku'-i-te,  to  swallow  anything. 

bi-te-bi'-lio-hu'-hu,  mud  swallows,  birds 
that  build  their  nests  of  mud,  like  the 
muskrat. 

sweat,  6i-ba',  to  take  a  sweat. 
<5i-bat',  a  sweat-house. 

ko-no'-wa-na,  to  perspire  freely  on  a  hot  day. 
sweet,  ya-ni-sis-6at. 
swell,  ka-na'-a-na,  to  puff  out,  swell  like  inflammation. 


338 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


swift,  ni-nan'-a,  swift,  swiftly. 

swim,  tu-i-si'-vi,  to  swim. 

swing,  eVca-i'-hi,  swinging  backwards  and  forwards. 

T. 

take,  na'-tha-wi,  to  take  off,  as  clothes, 
a-thi'-wi-hut'-un-e,  to  take  it  over, 
talk,  a-na'-ti,  to  talk  with  any  one. 
tear,  tut-e-ku'-i-ti,  to  tear  or  rend. 

tho-wu'-thi-a,  to  tear  anything  with  the  foot. 
tent,  na-tun'-i,  flaps  of  a  tent. 

thi-fia-an'-a,  tent  pins, 
thankful,  a-hou',  to  be  glad,  thankful, 
that,  in'-i. 

thaw,  a-na'-ku-a,  to  thaw,  as  ice. 
they,  in-it'-a-na,  they  or  them, 
thick,  na'-kai-ya,  thick,  thickly, 
thigh,  it-sa'-wi. 

think,  i-wi-na'-ais-tha-eV-na,  to  think,  consider, 
thirsty,  na-ka'-ye-na,  thirsty,  to  be  thirsty, 
this,  in'-a,  this  one,  this. 
those,  in-i-na'-ne. 
thou,  na-ne'-nit. 

thunder,  be-ha'-ni-tu-it,  to  thunder, 
threaten,  a-tun-a'-ha,  to  threaten  one. 
throw,  to'-o,  to  throw. 
tickle,  a-na-ha-hai'-in-a,  to  tickle. 
tie,  to'-kte,  to  tie. 
tight,  ne'-a-na,  to  hold  tight. 
toad,  ka-na-na'-ka-we,  a  large  toad. 
tobacco,  si-sa'-wa,  tobacco. 

si-sa'-wan,  pi. 

na-si'-sa-wa,  my  tobacco. 

na-si'-sa-wan,  our  tobacco. 

i-si'-sa-wan,  their  tobacco. 
to-day,  i-wan'-hat-i-shi'-na. 
together,  i-uli'-a-ti'-ni-hi,  close  together, 
to-morrow,  na-kak'. 
tongue,  wi-thun',  the  tongue. 

ni-sa-ta',  to  lick,  as  with  the  tongue. 
tooth,  bi'-6it-a,  a  tooth. 
ne'-6it-a,  my  tooth, 
e'-dit-a,  thy  tooth. 
in-i'-6it-a,  his  tooth. 


te-ci'-na-na'-ta,  to  make  a  grating  noise  with  the 

teeth. 
kak-si-nan'-at-a-he6'-ta,  to  rattle  with  the  teeth, 

to  chatter. 

top,  ta-shi'-he,  on  the  top. 
touch,  bes-in-a',  to  touch  with  anything. 

ti-en'-a,  to  touch  one,  to  call  his  attention  to 

anything. 

track,  nali-u-liit',  the  track  of  any  animal, 
trade,  a-ta'-ne,  to  trade  anything. 

a-ta'-ni-hi,  a  trader,  a  merchant, 
trail,  ba,  path,  road,  trail. 

ba'-na,  pi. 

trample,  a-na-liin'-i,  to  trample  down,  as  grass. 
transparent,  wa-hu'-i-na-a,  clear,  transparent. 
travelling,  noli'-a-na,  to  meet  any  one  travelling. 

a-ta-bi'-hi,  to  pass  by  any  one  travelling. 
tree,  a-hat',  a  tree, 
a-ha'-tin-a,  pi. 

tremble,  a-hi'-na-e,  to  tremble, 
trot,  sas-es'-kut-e,  to  trot,  as  a  horse. 
trouble,  na-tun'-a-he'-yat,  to  trouble,  vex,  annoy, 
turn,  thet-ci-na',  to  turn  over  anything, 
ith-et-ci-na',  turn  him  over, 
na-a-ku'-i-ti,  to  turn  around,  as  a  wheel,  or  spin 

a  top. 

turtle,  ba-en'-a. 
twins,  ka-ka-u'. 
twist,  <5i-thi'-wi-na,  to  twist. 

U. 

uncle,  na-tha'-i-tha,  my  mother's  brother,  uncle, 
understand,  ka-in'-a,  to  understand,  to  know  what  is 

meant. 

unload,  a-wa-6a'-in-a,  to  take  off,  unload, 
untie,  a-kun'-a,  to  untie  anything. 


V. 

village,  i-tha-i'-tan-u,  at  the  village, 
vomit,  bath-an'-a,  to  vomit. 

bath-an'-o-wa-te'-nu,  to  nauseate,  so  as  to  wish 
to  vomit. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


339 


W. 

wadding,  a-ko-ha',  wadding  for  a  gun. 
wade,  si'-a-he,  to  wade  out  after  anything. 
wag,  nan-ak'-a-ni,  to  wag  the  tail,  as  a  dog. 
walk,  di-wi'-sa,  to  walk, 
warm,  ash-ta',  to  be  warm. 

un-a-hu'-a-toi,  warm  yourself,  you  are  cold, 
wander,  an'-a-ha,  to  wander,  to  lose  one's  way. 
war-party,  nut-i-kun'-it. 

ta-wa'-he,  a  war-club, 
wash,  a-he'-si-ta,  to  wash,  as  the  hands, 
watch,  a-na'-yi-ha'-ta,  to  watch,  to  look  out. 

a-na-ye',  watching,  waking, 
water,  nio,  water, 
ni'-ci,  (pi.) 

kali-a'-ya-wi-kut'-e,  shallow  water, 
ben-a-lia'-wi-te,  wide  water. 
way,  i-tha-ba'-ya,  in  that  direction,  in  that  way. 
we,  na-ne-ni'-na,  we  or  ours, 
weak,  na-tih t',  weak,  feeble. 

wear,  a-liu'-be,  to  wear  on  the  shoulders,  as  a  blanket, 
weasel,  si'-a. 

weather,  wa-h u-sa'-ti-hi-ni,  to  be  bad,  stormy  weather, 
weave,  ni-tha-tan'-a,  to  weave  or  braid, 
well,  i-nin-tan',  to  be  well, 
wet,  sa-ya-ka'-na.  > 

what,  to'-is-a,  what  is  it  ?  what  ? 

to-shi'-hi,  what  is  the  matter  ? 

to-u'-hu,  how  long?  at  what  time? 

a-ha',  what  ?  is  it  possible  ?  is  it  so  ? 

to-huc'-ha-ta,  how  far  ?  to  what  place  ? 
when,  to-u'-hu. 
where,  ta-ti'-na,  where  is  it  ? 
whetstone,  i-ta'-ha-ha. 
which,  an-a'-a-huk. 
while,  ku-thi'-hi,  a  long  while, 
whip,  is-ko-ha',  a  whip. 

is-ko-ha'-na,  (pi.) 

nis-ko-hin'-a,  to  whip  or  flog  any  one. 
whirlpool,  ka-ka-ai'-na-wa,  an  eddy,  whirlpool. 
whisper,  i-wi-na-ye'-ti,  to  whisper. 
whistle,  ni'-si-hi,  to  whistle, 
white,  nun-a'-6a. 
why,  tat. 


who,  an-a-a',  who  is  it  ? 
widow,  i-ni-wi'-si. 

wife,  i-nain',  a  wife,  or  married  woman, 
na-tus'-i-ha,  my  wife, 
a-tus'-i-ha,  thy  wife, 
it-us'-i-ha,  his  wife. 

willow,  ba-<5e-wi'-shi,  red  willow.     Cornus  sericca. 
noh-than',  bark  of  red  willow, 
ba-o-i-ya'-ka,  a  large  willow,  growing  near  the 

foot  of  the  mountains, 
wind,  a-se'-si. 

na-kai'-si-si,  with  the  wind, 
window,  na-e-ha'. 

wink,  na-o-si'-6i,  to  wink  with  the  eyes, 
winter,  ce6. 

wish,  at-i-na-e'-na,  wish,  disposition. 
with,  na-ku'-in,  with,  together  with. 
6i-ta'-wo,  inside,  within. 
cY-i-thi,  out  of  doors,  without, 
wolf,  ka-a',  prairie  wolf. 

ka-a-wo'-u,  same  as  last, 
ali'-i,  large  wolf, 
a-wa'-ta-tas,  same  as  last, 
woman,  is'-i. 

is-i'-na,  (pi.) 

a-na'-e-ha-wu'-is,  an  unmarried  woman, 
wood,  beli'-a. 

ali-u'-in-i,  green  wood, 
wa-thi'-ni,  dry  wood, 
it-ush',  pith  of  wood, 
wrinkles,  wa-tha-na'-hain. 
write,  <5a-thun-a-he',  picture-writing  on  a  robe, 
wa-thun-a-he',  to  write  with  a  pen. 

Y. 

yawn,  na-ka'-ni,  to  gape,  to  yawn, 
yellow,  ni-ha'-ya. 

ath'-i-na-ni-ha'-ya,  very  yellow, 
yes,  a. 

yesterday,  un-hu'-bat-i-i'-shi-in-a. 
yonder,  in'-a,  yonder,  there. 
you,  ne-na'-nin. 
young,  wa-na-nilit'. 
yours,  ai-nis-tat'. 


340  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND    PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

CHAPTER     XI. 

V.  ATSINAS. 

ETHNOGRAPHICAL   HISTORY. 

THE  Atsinas  arc  undoubtedly  a  branch,  of  the  Arapoho  nation,  as  the  great  similarity  in 
the  two  languages  would  indicate.  The  cause  of  their  separation  from  the  Arapohos 
probably  originated  in  some  feud,  so  common  among  savage  tribes.  They  then  crossed 
the  Rocky  Mountains  (the  nearest  route  to  the  Blackfoot  country  from  the  Platte  is  to 
cross  the  mountains  near  the  sources  of  Snake  River,  and  recross  at  the  sources  of  the 
Missouri),  and  associated  themselves  with  the  Blackfeet.  When  this  division  took  place 
is  not  now  correctly  known,  though  we  think  it  must  have  occurred  some  time  within  the 
last  century.  Their  former  hunting  grounds,  as  indeed  were  those  of  the  whole  of  the 
Blackfoot  nation,  were  on  the  tributaries  of  the  Saskatchewan,  in  which  region  buffalo  and 
other  game  was  abundant.  Previously  to  the  opening  of  the  trade  with  these  Indians  on 
the  Upper  Missouri,  they  sold  all  their  skins  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  seldom 
visiting  the  country  about  the  sources  of  the  Missouri  except  for  hostile  purposes. 

It  is  said  that  the  Atsinas  captured  one  of  the  English  forts,  murdered  the  people,  and 
were,  on  that  accoxint,  obliged  to  change  their  location  for  the  one  they  now  occupy. 
This  is  very  probable,  as  they  are  a  subtle,  revengeful  people,  social  and  united  in  their 
undertakings,  and  easily  influenced  and  guided  by  their  chiefs.  At  the  present  time,  and 
for  many  years  past,  their  range  has  been  along  Milk  River,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mis 
souri,  extending  nearly  as  far  as  Cypress  Mountains.  From  this  line  to  the  Marias  River 
stretches  a  beautiful,  level  country,  well  covered  with  grass,  and  adapted  to  the  pasturage 
of  buffalo.  Here  the  Indians  under  consideration  may  be  found  at  all  seasons, — in  the 
winter,  along  the  banks  of  Milk  River,  where  wood  can  be  obtained,  and  on  the  plains  in 
summer,  where  fuel  is  not  so  necessary. 

As  we  have  before  stated,  the  Atsinas  were  originally  a  portion  of  the  Arapoho  tribe, 
now  occupying  the  country  about  the  sources  of  the  Platte  River.  We  may  here  say,  in 
giving  an  account  of  their  past  wanderings,  that  the  precise  time  of  their  separation  from 
the  Arapohos  is  not  known.  For  the  last  hundred  years  or  more  they  have  lived  on  the 
Saskatchewan  and  near  the  sources  of  the  Missouri.  With  the  Blackfeet  they  have 
always  been  on  terms  of  peace  and  amity,  having  intermarried  with  them  and  learned  to 
speak  their  language.  It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  while  nearly  all  of  them  speak  the 
Blackfoot  language  fluently,  very  few,  if  any,  of  the  Blackfeet  have  ever  acquired  that  of 
the  Atsinas.  They  usually  converse  in  a  low,  quiet  tone,  and  there  is  apparently  such  a 
similarity  and  monotony  in  the  words,  as  well  as  sounds,  that  their  language  is  regarded 
by  the  traders  and  Indians  as  the  most  difficult  to  learn  of  any  on  the  Upper  Missouri. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOU1U   VALLEY.  341 

No  trader  has  ever  acquired  it  sufficiently  to  carry  on  even  an  ordinary  conversation,  much 
less  to  make  a  speech,  though  some  of  the  old  residents  can  pronounce  the  names  of 
different  articles  of  trade  with  tolerable  accuracy.  All  dealings  or  intercourse  with  them 
by  whites  or  Blackfeet  are  conducted  through  the  language  of  the  latter  nation,  which 
abounds  with  interpreters. 

In  the  year  1818,  the  Atsinas,  having  surprised  and  robbed  one  of  the  forts  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  on  a  tributary  of  the  Saskatchewan,  fled  to  the  sources  of  the 
Missouri,  where  they  passed  the  winter;  but,  finding  no  traders  there  to  furnish  them  with 
supplies  or  purchase  their  peltries,  they  continued  their  route  across  the  mountains,  and 
joined  once  more  their  old  relations  the  Arapohos.  Here  they  resided  and  hunted  in 
common  with  the  latter  tribe  for  the  space  of  five  years,  during  which  time  the  small-pox 
passed  among  them,  having  been  communicated  through  other  tribes  with  whom  they 
were  at  peace  or  carried  on  a  traffic.  This  disease,  at  that  time,  destroyed  about  half 
their  number,  but  secured  the  remainder  from  the  next  attack,  which  occurred  in  1838. 
At  this  latter  period  the  small-pox  only  acted  upon  the  young,  and  destroyed  numbers  of 
them,  but  the  chiefs  and  elderly  men  escaped,  so  that  the  tribe  was  not  reduced  to  the 
disorderly  and  helpless  condition  of  the  Blackfeet  and  other  surrounding  nations. 

In  the  summer  of  1823,  the  Atsinas  became  dissatisfied  with  the  country  of  the  Ara 
pohos,  and  longed  for  their  old  district,  or  at  least,  for  some  place  where  the  buffalo  were 
to  be  found  in  greater  abundance  than  among  the  valleys  of  the  mountains.  The  Crow 
nation  had  been  on  terms  of  peace  with  the  Arapohos  for  several  years,  but  not  being  ac 
quainted  with  the  Atsinas,  regarded  them  as  enemies,  from  their  previous  union  with  the 
Blackfeet.  This  fact  the  Atsinas  well  knew,  and  to  avoid,  meeting  with  the  Crows  on 
their  journey  to  the  Missouri,  they  made  a  circuit  of  many  miles  west  of  the  Crow  dis 
trict,  passing  near  the  Columbia.  During  this  trip  across  the  mountains,  they  came  in 
contact  with  a  few  white  men  trapping  for  beaver,  some  of  whom  they  killed  and  robbed 
of  their  property,  while  others  escaped,  and  carried  the  intelligence  of  the  murder  of  their 
comrades  to  the  main  body  of  trappers.  This  was  a  company  of  sixty  to  eighty  men,  all 
well  armed,  and  versed  in  the  different  modes  of  Indian  warfare.  They  were  brave  men, 
headed  by  renowned  leaders,  Sublette  and  Fontinelle.  Most  of  these  trappers  were  as 
sembled  at  their  rendezvous,  on  a  tributary  of  Big  Snake  River,  not  far  from  the  place 
where  the  murders  were  committed. 

Always  ready  to  avenge  the  death  of  any  of  their  party,  and  to  drive  hostile  Indians 
from  the  mountains,  they  at  once  started  to  attack  the  advancing  camp  of  the  Atsinas. 
The  latter  discovered  their  approach  in  time  to  erect  several  small  forts  and  other  breast 
works,  with  such  materials,  hastily  thrown  together,  as  the  country  afforded.  The  trap 
pers  arrived,  and  one  of  the  most  severe  engagements  took  place  ever  known  in  the  Rocky 


342  ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 

Mountains.  The  Indians  had  the  advantage  of  position  and  defensive  barricades,  the 
trappers  that  of  arms,  ammunition,  and  skill.  For  two  days  a  sharp  firing  was  kept  up  on 
both  sides,  the  whites  from  behind  trees  and  rocks,  aiming  at  the  openings  in  the  forts, 
and  the  Indians  shooting  any  trapper  that  exposed  his  person  to  view.  A  number  of  ex 
hibitions  of  individual  daring  occurred  on  the  part  of  the  trappers  ;  some  of  them  leaped 
into  the  middle  of  one  of  the  defences,  which  contained  about  twenty  Indians,  whom  they 
killed  and  scalped,  losing  a  few  of  their  own  party  at  the.  same  time.  Mr.  Sublette,  the 
leader,  received  a  severe,  though  not  mortal  wound,  from  a  ball  passing  through  his  body, 
after  breaking  his  arm.  At  the  end  of  forty-eight  hours,  the  trappers  left  the  place,  being 
unable  to  dislodge  the  Indians  from  their  barricades.  In  this  conflict,  fifty-six  of  the  At- 
sinas  were  killed,  and  about  double  that  number  wounded.  The  trappers  had  nine  men 

* 

killed,  and  several  wounded,  some  of  whom  subsequently  died  from  their  wounds. 

As  soon  as  possible  after  this  battle,  the  Atsinas  decamped,  and  pursued  their  journey 
by  long  and  rapid  marches.  Considering  themselves  out  of  the  reach  of  their  white 
enemies,  and  beyond  the  limits  of  the  range  of  the  Crows,  they  travelled  more  leisurely, 
and  inclined  more  northward,  with  a  view  of  reaching  a  portion  of  the  Blackfeet,  near  St. 
Mary's  Valley.  Even  when  they  considered  themselves  most  secure,  still  greater  misfor 
tunes  were  impending  over  them.  It  so  happened  that  the  whole  Crow  nation  had  been 
on  a  visit  to  the  Flatheads  to  obtain  horses  by  barter,  as  was  their  usual  custom.  Having 
concluded  their  traffic,  the  Crows  returned  home  in  two  camps,  about  the  same  time  that 
the  Atsinas  were  travelling  through  that  region.  Neither  tribe  was  aware  of  the  proxi 
mity  of  the  other,  this  portion  of  the  mountains  being  unoccupied  by  Indians,  and  seldom 
visited  by  war-parties.  The  Crows,  also,  were  travelling  from  west  to  east,  whilst  the 
others  marched  from  the  southwest  in  a  northern  direction.  One  of  the  Crow  camps  was 
about  two  days'  journey  in  advance  of  the  other,  when  four  young  men  started  from  the 
hindmost  camp  to  join  the  one  in  front.  In  the  meantime,  the  Atsinas  had  advanced 
nearly  to  the  trail  when  the  Crows  had  passed,  and  these  young  men,  seeing  the  lodges, 
supposed  them  to  be  their  own  people,  and  went  directly  to  their  village.  They  soon  dis 
covered  their  mistake,  for  the  Atsinas  at  once  killed  three  of  them.  The  fourth,  escaping 
among  the  rocks  and  bushes,  fled  back  to  his  people,  and  informed  them  of  the  fate  of  his 
friends.  To  secure  a  signal  revenge  without  farther  loss,  the  Crows  waylaid  the  Atsinas 
in  a  certain  pass  which  they  knew  their  enemy  would  be  obliged  to  travel  through.  This 
spot  they  surrounded,  and  lay  in  ambuscade  until  their  enemies  entered  and  filled  it  with 
out  suspicion.  The  Crows  then  fired  upon  them  from  behind  rocks  and  trees  with  safety. 
The  Atsinas  were  panic-stricken,  and  fled,  leaving  behind  them  their  wounded,  and  some 
of  their  women  and  children.  They  scarcely  attempted  a  defence :  only  a  few  shots  were 
fired  at  the  Crows,  but  without  effect.  Sixty-seven  Atsinas  were  killed,  and  double  that 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  343 

number  of  women  and  children  taken  prisoners,  many  of  whom  can  be  seen  among  the 
Crows  at  this  time.  The  remainder  of  the  Atsinas  reached  their  people,  the  Blackfeet, 
without  farther  loss,  with  whom  they  have  continued  to  reside  to  this  day,  and  are 
classed  as  Blackfeet  when  that  nation  are  spoken  of  as  a  body. 

We  have  now  given  as  correct  an  account  of  this  nation  as  can  be  obtained  from  the 
most  intelligent  Indians  and  traders  of  the  country  at  the  present  time.  We  have 
searched  in  vain  among  all  the  old  books  of  travel  for  any  definite  account  of  the  Atsinas 
or  Arapohos,  and  consequently,  any  accurate  information  in  regard  to  them  must  be  im 
portant. 

Umfreville,  as  far  back  as  1790,  seems  to  have  known  of  the  Atsinas,  and  to  have  ob 
tained  a  vocabulary  of  forty-four  words  of  their  language.  According  to  his  account,  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  and  the  Nehethewas  or  Crees,  called  them  Fall  Indians,  from  the 
fact  of  their  inhabiting  a  district  on  the  southern  branch  of  the  Saskatchewan,  where  the 
rapids  are  frequent.  He  says :  "  As  they  are  not  very  numerous,  and  have  a  harsh,  gut 
tural  language  peculiar  to  themselves,  I  am  induced  to  think  they  are  a  tribe  that  has  de 
tached  itself  from  some  distant  nation,  with  which  we  are  not  yet  acquainted."  He  also 
alludes  to  the  impropriety  of  calling  them  Big-bellies,  inasmuch  as  they  are  as  comely  and 
as  well  made  as  any  of  the  surrounding  tribes.  "  They  seem  not  to  be  acquainted  with 
the  hunting  of  beaver,  dressing  skins,  and  killing  small  peltries,  for  they  bring  us  nothing 
but  wolves,  which  they  take  by  a  variety  of  contrivances.  Though  we  have  interpreters 
for  all  other  Indian  languages,  none  as  yet  have  been  able  to  attain  a  fluency  sufficient  to 
be  understood,  and  the  general  method  of  conversing  is  by  speaking  the  Blackfoot  tongue, 
which  is  agreeable  and  soon  acquired." 

Mackenzie,  in  1801,  merely  alludes  to  the  Fall  or  Big-bellied  Indians  living  on  the  Sas 
katchewan. 

Brackenridge*  says :  "  The  Gros  Ventres  of  the  Prairie  speak  the  Crow  language,  and 
wander  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Saskatchewan." 

Morsef  speaks  of  them  as  Rapid  Indians,  and  remarks  that  they  call  themselves  Paw- 
is-tuck'-i-e-ne-wuck.  From  what  source  he  obtained  his  information,  he  does  not  say. 

GallatinJ  also  seems  to  have  procured  very  little  accurate  information  in  regard  to  these 
Indians,  and  in  his  comparisons,  he  used  the  small  vocabulary  of  Umfreville. 

The  brief  list  of  Atsina  words  given  in  these  pages  seems  to  be  the  only  one,  so  far  as  I 
can  learn,  that  has  ever  been  secured,  except  that  of  Umfreville,  in  1790.  It  is  a  matter 
of  great  surprise,  that  so  little  is  known  of  this  tribe,  though  it  may  be  due  to  the  fact, 
that  the  Atsinas  have  always  been  classed  with  the  Blackfeet. 

These  Indians  have  received  a  great  variety  of  names,  as  Paunch,  Fall,  Eapid  Indians, 

*  1819.  f  1822-  t  183G- 

VOL.  xii. — 44 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


Gros  Ventres  of  the  Prairie,  Minnetarees  of  the  Prairie,  &c.  They  have  also  been  con 
founded  with  the  Minnetarees  of  the  Missouri,  and  one  author  says  they  speak  the  Crow 
language.  I  will  now  endeavor  to  correct  some  of  the  errors  which  authors  have  fallen 
into,  in  regard  to  these  Indians. 

The  tribe  tinder  consideration  call  themselves  Atsina,  the  meaning  of  which  I  could 
not  ascertain.  They  now  live  in  and  about  the  valley  of  Milk  River,  in  latitude  48°, 
longitude  108°,  while  the  Minnetarees,  or  Gros  Ventres  de  Missouri,  as  they  are  called 
by  the  Canadians,  reside  in  a  permanent  village  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Missouri  River, 
near  latitude  47°,  longitude  102°.  The  latter  speak  a  dialect  of  the  Crow  language,  and 
know  very  little,  if  anything,  in  regard  to  the  former,  for  they  have  never  met,  either  in 
war  or  peace. 

Their  numbers  have  been  variously  estimated  by  different  authors.  The  Prince  Neu- 
wied,  in  1832  and  '3,  made  their  number  about  200  lodges,  and  400  to  500  warriors. 
Gov.  Stevens,  in  1853,  estimated  them  at  360  lodges,  900  warriors,  and  a  total  popula 
tion  of  2520.  The  last  estimate  is  probably  correct  for  the  present  time.  In  1855,  I  took 
a  careful  census  of  60  lodges  of  Atsinas,  and  found  that  there  was  an  average  of  a  fraction 
over  five  persons  to  a  lodge. 

VOCABULARY   OF   THE   ATSl'NA   DIALECT   OP   THE   ARA'POHO   LANGUAGE. 


alive,  life,  na-tba'-ni-ta. 
all,  ba'-hi. 
arm,  nin'-is. 
arrow,  uts. 
axe,  a-nas'. 

bad,  wun'-a-tba. 

bark,  na'-si. 

beard,  bi-a-thut'-i. 

bear,  wa'-si. 

beaver,  a'-bit. 

belly,  wa-nut'-a. 

bird,  ni-i'-ha. 

blood,  ba-uts'. 

boat,  tse'-e-wa. 

body,  ni-tun'.i-ya. 

bone,  mun-i'-ya. 

bow,  ma-ta'. 

boy,  a-na'-he. 

bread,  kat'-san. 

brother  (older),  ni-ti'-wa. 

younger,  na-tha'-wa. 


buffalo,  it-a'-nun. 
bull,  a-ni'-ke-a. 

chief,  ni-ke'-a. 
child,  te'-a-na. 
corn,  mis-ka'-ta. 
cow,  bi. 

day,  ba-a'-a. 
darkness,  bi'-hi-ka. 
daughter,  ni-ta'-na  (my). 
dead,  death,  na-kik'. 
deer,  ut-i-vi'-a-nin'-a. 
dog,  a'-te. 
duck,  ni-hi'-a. 

ear,  ke'-ta,  mo-no-tun'-i. 
earth,  pi'-ton. 
egg,  nau'-na. 
evening,  i-to'-a. 
eye,  ba-si'-the. 

face,  it-a'-thi-wi'-a. 


father,  ne'-ha. 
feet,  i-thet'-ton. 
finger,  ba-kit'. 
fire,  sit' -a. 
fish,  na-qua'-a. 
fox  (red),  ba'-thew. 

(gray),  no. 
forehead,  wa-tliaut'. 
friend,  ba'-ni. 

girl,  i-the'-e. 
go,  ke-tats'. 
good,  i'-ta. 
goose,  ne'-i. 
grass,  wa-se'-na. 
great,  be-na-thi'-a. 

hair,  mi'-ta. 
hand,  ma-kit' -in. 
handsome,  sin-i-sa'-ti, 
hare,  nat'-sa. 
head,  bi'-ta. 


INDIAN   TRIBES  OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLET. 


345 


heart,  nut'-a. 
hen  (prairie),  kin'-a. 
hill,  ka-te'-ni. 
house,  hut,  ni'-nun. 
husband,  na'-si. 

I,  ni-na'-ni. 
ice,  wa'-ku. 
Indian,  ni-thit'. 
iron,  bct'-ste. 
island,  ka-a'-pu. 

kettle,  bet'-stc-na. 
kill,  nan-a'-a. 
knife,  wa-tha'. 

leaf,  bi-cish'-c. 
leg,  na-ats'. 
light,  ni-sin'. 
lightning,  c-sa'-an. 
love,  pi-tha'-ta. 

man,  ni-thun'-a. 
many,  much,  wun-a-tauts'. 
meat,  a' -than, 
moccasins,  wa'-a. 
moon,  bi-ko'-is-is. 
morning,  na-na'-ka. 
mother,  e-naun'. 
mountain,  a-ha'-ni. 
mouth,  it'-i. 

nails,  wa'-us. 
near,  ek-i'-ba. 
neck,  wa'-thun. 


night,  tu'-ki. 
no,  tse. 
nose,  ba'-is. 

old,  bi-e-a'-wa. 

pail,  pi'-nats. 
pipe,  c'-tsa. 

rain,  na'-tha. 

sea,  ti-yo-ni'-ca. 
see,  na-na'-ha-qua-ki. 
sing,  ma'-ki-ha'-ke. 
sister,  te'-ya. 
sleep,  na-kas6'. 
sky,  un'-u. 
small,  a-ksi'-o. 
snake,  si'-sa-a. 
snow,  hi. 
son  (my),  ni'-kun. 
speak,  na-ne'-kik. 
spring,  bi-ni'-ka. 
squirrel,  ba-thaut'-si. 
star,  ou-to-ha'. 
stone,  a-na'-ken. 
strong,  tin-a'-ik. 
sun,  is'-is. 

this,  i'-na. 
thou,  na'-na. 
thunder,  pa' -a. 
tobacco,  se-tha'-wa. 
to-day,  wa-ni'-i-hu-sin. 
toe,  wa-tha'-a. 


to-morrow,  na-kast'. 
tongue,  ni'-tun. 
tooth,  bi-it'-a. 
town,  ni'-i-nun. 
tree  (pine),  tha'-a-ta. 

ugly  (bad  heart),  na-ta-wun'-a-tha. 

walk,  bc-oi-ta'-pc-ki. 
warm,  a-sit'-o. 
warrior,  nc-ta'-tit. 
water,  nets, 
white,  nun'-au-co. 
who,  hai'-yo. 
wife,  na'-ti-tha. 
wind,  a-tha'-tha. 
winter  (cold),  na-ka'-U. 
wolf,  kai-i-ki'-tba. 
woman,  ith'-a. 
wood,  bes'-a. 

yes,  a'-e. 

yesterday,  a-ta'-ni. 
young,  wun-a-he'-ku. 

one,  nin-i-thi'-ki. 
two,  nin'-I-sits. 
three,  ni'-nid. 
four,  kin'-a-nits. 
five,  kin-a-ta'-nits. 
six,  ni-ka-ta'-sits. 
seven,  nin'-i-ta-ta'-sits. 
eight,  nin'-a-tha-ta'-sits. 
nine,  e-na'-na-pe-ta'-sits. 
ten,  ma-ta-ta'-sits. 


PAWNEE    GROTTP,    C. 

CHAPTER      XII. 

VI.  PAWNEES. 

ETHNOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

IT  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  so  little  information  of  a  definite  character  should  have 
been  placed  on  record  in  regard  to  a  nation  which  has  been  so  long  known  as  the  Pawnees. 


346  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

I  have  searched  with  much  care  all  the  works  within  my  reach,  and  can  find  no  detailed 
account  of  their  history,  only  incidental  allusions  to  them  in  the  writings  of  various  travel 
lers.  Gallatin  remarks  that  they  were  visited  by  Bourgmont  as  early  as  1724,  and  observes 
that  they  occupied  very  nearly  the  same  district  of  country  over  which  they  range  at  the 
present  time.  I  can  find  no  reliable  account  of  their  migration  from  any  distant  point  to 
their  present  location.  It  is  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Shea  that  Caviller  alludes  to  them  under 
the  name  of  Panismahans,  in  his  account  of  "  La  Salle's  Voyage  to  the  Mouth  of  the 
Mississippi,  in  1688,"  where  he  notes  the  information  given  him  by  three  Shawnee  In 
dians,  "  that  there  were  other  nations  to  the  northwest,  who  had  kings  and  chiefs,  and 
observed  some  forms  of  government,  honoring  and  respecting  their  kings  as  Europeans  do 
theirs."  Again,  in  the  narrative  of  Father  Doway,  who,  it  seems,  was  a  member  of  La 
Salle's  party,  in  his  attempt  to  ascend  the  Mississippi,  in  1687,  we  find  the  following 
paragraph,  which  throws  much  light  upon  the  location  of  numerous  other  tribes  now  in 
habiting  the  Missouri  Valley:  "We  crossed  the  Ouabache  (Wabash)  there  on  the  26th  of 
August  (1687),  and  found  it  full  sixty  leagues  to  the  mouth  of  the  River  Illinois,  still 
ascending  the  Colbert.  About  six  leagues  above  this  mouth  there  is  on  the  northwest 
the  famous  river  of  the  Massourites,  or  Osages,  at  least  as  large  as  the  river  into  which  it 
empties ;  it  is  formed  by  a  number  of  other  known  rivers,  everywhere  navigable,  and  in 
habited  by  many  populous  tribes,  as  the  Panimaha,  who  had  but  one  chief  and  twenty- 
two  villages,  the  least  of  which  has  two  hundred  cabins ;  the  Paneassa,  the  Pana,  the 
Paneloza,  the  Matotantes,  each  of  which,  separately,  is  not  inferior  to  the  Panimaha.  They 
include  also  the  Osages,  who  have  seventeen  villages  on  a  river  of  their  name,  which 
empties  into  that  of  the  Massourites,  to  which  the  maps  have  also  extended  the  name  of 
Osages.  The  Arkansas  were  formerly  stationed  on  the  upper  part  of  one  of  these  rivers, 
but  the  Iroquois  drove  them  out  by  cruel  wars  some  years  ago,  so  that  they,  with  some 
Osage  villages,  were  obliged  to  drop  down  and  settle  on  the  river  which  now  bears  their 
name,  and  of  which  I  have  spoken."  The  above  account  seems  to  me  to  be  somewhat 
confused,  according  to  our  present  ideas  of  the  geography  of  the  Mississippi  Valley ;  but  I 
am  inclined  to  think  that  the  various  tribes  of  Indians  alluded  to  were  located  in  the 
Missouri  Valley.  In  the  narrative  of  the  "  Travels  of  Lewis  and  Clarke,"  may  be  found 
the  most  reliable  account  of  the  location  and  condition  of  the  Pawnees  at  the  time  when 
these  enterprising  explorers  ascended  the  Missouri.  At  that  time,  1803,  their  principal 
village  was  situated  on  the  south  side  of  the  Platte,  about  forty-five  miles  above  its  mouth, 
and  contained  about  five  hundred  warriors.  Not  many  years  previously  were  added  the 
Republican  Pawnees,  so  called  from  their  having  lived  on  a  branch  of  the  Kansas  of  that 
name.  This  band  numbered  two  hundred  and  fifty  warriors.  The  third  band  was  called 
the  Pawnee  Loups,  or  Wolf  Pawnees,  who  resided  on  the  Wolf  or  Loup  Fork  of  the 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


347 


Platte,  and  numbered  about  two  hundred  and  eighty  men.  There  was  also  a  fourth  band, 
who  originally  ranged  over  the  country  bordering  on  the  Kansas  and  Arkansas,  but  were 
so  often  defeated  in  their  wars  with  the  Osages  that  they  removed  to  Red  River,  forming 
a  tribe  of  four  hundred  men.  "All  these  tribes  live  in  villages  and  raise  corn;  but  during 
the  intervals  of  culture  rove  in  the  plains  in  quest  of  buffalo."  The  band  last  mentioned 
undoubtedly  includes  the  Huecos  and  Witcliitas,  whose  villages  are  now  located  near  each 
other,  between  the  Washita  and  Red  Rivers.  According  to  Gregg,  these  two  tribes  have 
been  called  Pawnee  Picts,  from  their  habit  of  profuse  tattooing. 

At  the  time  of  Major  Long's  Expedition  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  in  1820,  three  bands, 
Grand  Pawnees,  Pawnee  Republics,  and  Pawnee  Loups,  all  resided  on  the  Platte  and  its 
branches,  and  numbered  about  ten  thousand  souls.  They  seem  to  have  been  at  that  time 
in  a  prosperous  condition,  and  much  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits. 

The  Pawnees  at  this  time  reside  on  the  Loup  Fork,  a  tributary  of  the  Platte,  having 
been  assigned  a  reservation  on  that  river  by  the  United  States  Government. 

Very  little  attention  has  been  given  to  the  language  of  the  Pawnees,  as  well  as  to  their 
history.  So  far  as  I  can  learn,  the  first  vocabulary  of  their  language  was  taken  by  Mr. 
Say  in  1820,  and  published  in  the  report  of  Long's  Expedition  to  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
The  Prince  Neuwied  also  obtained  a  few  words,  and  Gallatin,  in  his  "  Synopsis"  (Archaeo- 
logia  Americana,  Vol.  II,  pp.  305-367),  simply  repeats  Say's  list  of  words.  Rev.  Mr.  Dun- 
bar,  for  a  long  time  a  missionary  among  the  Pawnees,  prepared  a  small  elementary  work 
in  their  language  for  the  use  of  the  mission,  but  as  yet  I  have  been  unable  to  secure  a 
copy.  No  attempt  has  ever  been  made  to  work  out  the  grammatical  structure  of  the  lan 
guage.  The  following  vocabulary  was  obtained  for  me  by  the  Rev.  William  Hamilton,  of 
Bellevue,  Nebraska,  and,  from  his  great  experience  in  such  matters,  it  is  entitled  to  much 
confidence.  I  have  simply  made  some  changes  in  the  letters  employed,  to  render  the 
orthography  uniform  throughout  the  entire  memoir,  and  arranged  the  words  in  alphabetical 
order. 


VOCABULARY   OF   THE   PAWNEE   LANGUAGE. 


A. 


alive,  ki'-si-kit. 

all,  kit'-o. 

ant,  pit'-a-ru. 

antelope,  a-pi'-ka-tos,  flat  horns. 

arm,  pe'-ru. 

arrow,  li'-ksu. 

autumn,  lits'-ko-ki. 

axe,  ka-ta'-ra-ki. 

ka-ta'-ra-ta'-It,  a  battle-axe. 


B. 


back,  lik-sta'  ku,  lek-sta'-ku. 
bad,  kau-ku'-ra-lii. 
bag,  ka-doa'. 

dat-ka-tos',  a  woman's  bag  or  satchel. 
bark,  laks-kus'. 
beak,  cos,  beak,  or  nose, 
bean,  at-it'. 

at-it'-di-wi'-ru,  round  bean,  or  pea. 
bear,  ko-roks'. 


318 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


beast,  i'-ta,  and  i'-to. 

beard,  a-ka'-da-rus,  and  a-ku'-da-rus. 

beaver,  ki-tuk'. 

bird,  li-kuts'-ki.  a  bird. 

kit-o-ka'-ru,  all  kinds  of  birds. 
black,  ti'-ka-tit. 
bladder,  ka-slt'-ki-ra'-ku. 
blood,  pa'-tu. 
blue,  ta-ri-us'. 
boat,  la-ku'-hu-ru. 

tu-wau'-ruks-ti,  a  ship,  sacred,  medicine. 

la-ku-ha-wau'-slks-ti,  steamboat,  medicine-boat, 
body,  ki-si-kit'-ri,  a  living  body. 
bone,  ki'-su. 
bow,  ti-ra'-kish. 
boy,  pi'-ras-ki,  and  pi'-riis-ki. 
bread,  i'-de-ta. 

breechcloth,  kau'-di-o-kau'-i-o. 
brother,  i-da'-di-ko-ta'-ti,  my  brother. 
buffalo,  ta'-ra-ha. 

ta'-ra-ha-ta'-ka,  domestic  cow,  white  buffalo. 
to  burn,  ti-ta'-ra-ri. 

C. 

call,  ti-wa'-ko-la'-ru,  he  calls. 
cat,  pak-sits'-ha-wi'-ru,  wild  cat. 
pak-sits-ka'-ki-ats,  panther. 
chief,  ni-sha'-ru. 

chicken,  puks,  prairie  chicken.      Tetrao  ciipido. 
coat,  na-ha'-si. 
cold,  ti-pit'-si. 

corn,  li-kis',   ) 

J-   corn  in  the  car. 
leks,      ) 

le-ki-sha'-kuts,  coarse  grass,  corn, 
copper,  pa-pi'-ci-spa. 
cry,  ti-ki'-kat,  he  cries. 

me-ti'-ki-kat,  crying. 
crow,  ka'-ka.     Corvus. 

D. 

darkness,  ta-ti'-sta-ha. 
death,  we-si'-kit. 

we'-ti  kot,  dead. 

ti-ko'-kOt,  he  is  dead. 


he-te'k,  he  dies. 

daughter,  fo-ra-ki'-ko-ta-ti,  my  daughter. 
deer,  a-ri'-ki-ra'-ru,  a  male  deer, 
toh,  a  female  deer,  a  doe. 
dog,  as-ak'-i. 
door,  le-ka'-wi-u. 
drink,  ti-ki'-ha,  he  drinks. 

wc-ti'-ki-ka,  drinking, 
duck,  ki'-waks,  and  ki'-sat. 

E. 

eagle,  llli'-ta-kats. 
earth,  a-ra'-nu. 
eat,  ti-wa'-wa,  he  eats. 

we-le-wa'-wa,  he  is  eating. 
ear,  ut-ka-ha'-ru. 

a-do-ru'-sa-ka'-ha,  long  ears,  a  horse. 
egg,  li-pi'-ku. 
elbow,  pa-ro-c"uc'-kis. 
elk,  nali. 

enemy,  (5a-hlks-o'-pi'-in. 
evening,  wa-ti-sak'-u,  dark,  evening. 

F. 

face,  ska'-u. 
far  off,  kits-ti-lmts'. 
fat,  a-hit'-ki. 
father,  a-ti'-as-ko-ta'-ti,  my  father. 

a-ti'-as-ko-ta'-se,  your  father. 

a-ti'-as-ko'-ta,  his  father. 
feather,  hi'-tu. 

finger  nail,  iks-pi'-to,  and  iks-pi'-to. 
fire,  lak-tit'. 
fish,  kat-se'-ik, 
flesh,  ki-sats'-ki. 
flint,  ta-hi-u'-ru. 
flour,  a'-rih -i-tu. 
flower,  ki-dek'-ta-rali'-a-ta. 
fly,  pi-ra-ras'-a-llt,  horse-fly. 
foot,  as'-u. 

forest,  o-kat'-u-ha'-ri. 
forever,  lo-ho'-ri-ret. 
forenoon,  ki-ka'-rus. 
friend,  i-ra'-ri, 


i-ra-n,    1 

.  ,  ,   .     \  fnc 

i-da-n,   ) 


friend  or  brother. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY. 


349 


G. 

girl,  o-da'-o,  sha-lo',  a  boy,  any  of  the  Loup  Pawnees. 

co-wat',  a  little  girl. 

ti'-ki,  a  little  boy. 

6o'-ras-ki-ta-lus'-ki,  a  little  girl. 

pi'-ras-ki-ta-lus'-ki,  a  little  boy. 
god,  ti-ra'-wa-kau-ku'-rau-hi,  bad  gods. 
good,  tu-ra'-hi. 
gone,  ne-tet',  he  has  gone. 
goose,  kat-o'-rut.    Loup  Pawnees  say  ko-hat'. 

kat-o-rut'-a-ka,  white  goose, 
grass,  ka'-ta-ru. 

ha-rut'-ki-i-di,  cut  grass,  hay. 
great,  ti'-ri-hu. 
green,  tit-a-ri-us'. 
gun,  ti-ra'-ku. 

H. 

hail,  nih'-ots. 
hair,  o'-sa. 

a-kau-da'-rus,  hair  of  the  mouth, 
half,  huks. 
hand,  ek-su. 
handsome,  tali'-ni. 
hare,  pa'-rus. 

hawk,  pi'-a-ki.  i 

he,  ti-ra'-ku. 
head,  paks,  puks. 
hear,  tat-kok',  he  hears, 
heart,  pi'-tsu. 
heel,  as'-kau-ki'-tu. 
hill,  pa-o-ti'-di-ho,  a  large  hill, 
hog,  kol'i'-o,  ko-shan',  a  word  derived  from  the  French 

traders. 

hot,  ta'-wi-rits-to. 
house,  we'-ti-kau,  in  the  house. 

ak-a'-ra,  a  house. 
husband,  ta-wa'-ri-ko'-ta-ti,  my  husband,  my  married 

one. 


I. 


I,  lat. 

ice,  ta-si'-tu,  hu-ra'-o. 

in,  ti-hak'. 


Indian,  ca'-hiks-i-ca'-hiks,  literally,  men  of  men,  or  the 

last  of  men. 
island,  a'-wa-u. 

K. 

killed,  we-tih'-o-tit',  he  killed  it. 
knife,  let'-sik. 

L. 

laugh,  ti-was'-ko,  he  laughs. 

we'-ti-was'-ku,  laughing. 
lead,  ti-ra-ka'-wi-u,  lead  balls. 
leaf,  sh'ki'-ka-la. 
leg,  kau-su'. 
leggin,  a-ka'-o-ku. 
life,  ki'-si-kit. 
light,  uks-e-kut'. 
lightning,  te-wau-wau'-pits. 
liver,  ka-di'-ku. 

lodge,  ak-a'-ska-rit'-ki,  a  skin  lodge. 
looked,  to-ti-ri-ku',  he  looked  on. 
long,  kau-ki-ra'-ki,  not  long. 
love,  ti-ra-pi'-ri-hu, 
ti-ki'-si-kit  , 


. 

he  loves. 


M. 
man,  pet'-a. 

ti-pa'-hat,  red  man. 
6a-hiks-ta-ka',  white  man. 
ta-wa'-re-plt, 


ta-wa -re-pit,     1 
pi-to-ko'-ta-ti,    ) 


my  man. 


meat,  ki-suts'-ki,  fresh  meat, 
midday,  sak-u-i-ka-ri'-kat. 
midnight,  i'-das-i-ka'-u-kat. 
moon,  ko'-ru. 

ki'-waks,  Duck  moon,  November. 

lut,  Snake  moon,  October. 

kat-i-ha'-ru,  six  months,  six  moons, 
morning,  wet-a-he'-sha. 
mother,  a-ti-ra'-ko-ta-ti,  my  mother, 
mouth,  a'-ka-u. 
muskrat,  kit'-a-ka. 

N. 
navel,  kau-su',  and  la-wats'. 


350 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 


near,  tr-ks'-ku-rat. 
neck,  pa-hiks'-kis. 
no,  kau'-hi. 
nose,  60s. 
nothing,  kau-hdt'. 


oar,  kits-ka'-wi-tsa'-ku. 
oats,  li-ki'-sha-kuts, 


0. 


Ii-ki -sha-kuts,   ) 

J-  food  for  horses, 
a-ru -sa-ko -ta,    J 


old,  ku'-ra-hush. 
on,  ti-hu'-ki-ta-sa. 
otter,  kit-a'-pat. 
outside,  o-ki-ta-ha'-hi-ri. 
owl,  pa-ho'-ru. 

P. 

part,  kau'-ki. 
partridge,  ot-kis'-is. 
perhaps,  ki'-ri-ku. 

ki'-ri-ku-i'-rit,  perhaps  so. 
pepper,  kats-kau-pit',  black  pepper, 
pipe,  not'-a-wi-ska'-ru. 

ka'-ta-ra-pik'-sklt,  tomahawk  pipe, 
plover,  tit. 
potato,  its,  ets. 
powderhorn,  a-di'-i-ki. 
pumpkin,  pa-haks'. 

i          pa-hak'-sa-las,  ripe  pumpkins. 

R. 

rain,  ta-tson'. 

red,  ti'-pa-hat'. 

river,  kits-wa'-ruk-sti,  Medicine  River. 

kits-ka-tiis',  Shallow  River,  Plattc. 
road,  hat-o'-ru,  a  trail  or  road. 
rose,  pa'-hat. 

S. 

salt,  kau'-it. 
scalp,  puks-slt'-skus. 
sea,  ki-ra-rlk'-shis. 
seat,  ki-di'-ru,  seat  or  rump, 
see,  si-sit',  he  sees. 


September,  ki-shot'. 

sheep,  a'-ri-ka-rits'. 

shoe,  as-o'-ru,  shoe  or  moccasin. 

shoulder,  kit-ska'-su. 

silver,  wa-pi'-(5i-sta-pi'-ri-hu,  best  metal. 

sinew,  as-kats'-ki. 

sing,  ti'-ra-ruli. 

sister,  i-la-he',  used  by  the  men,  iny  sister. 

i-da-di',  women  use  this  form, 
skin,  ska-rit'-ki. 
sky,  ska'-u,  sky,  heaven, 
slough,  ki'-wa-ha'-ru,  lake,  slough, 
ki-wa'-ha-kuts,  big  slough, 
small,  ki-ta-lus'-ki. 
smooth,  ki-ri-bats'-ki. 
snake,  lut'-ki. 
snipe,  paks-ki-ra'-ruts. 
snow,  we-toh'-sha,  it  snows. 

toh'-sa,  snow. 

son,  pi-ras'-ko-ta'-ti,  my  son,  or  my  boy. 
speak,  ti-wa'-ku,  he  speaks, 
spear,  u-ruk'-sis. 
spirit,  tc-ra'-wa,  Great  Spirit. 

le-kat-sa'-ro,  a  ghost,  wandering  spirit, 
spring,  a-ra'-ri-ka. 

kits-taks',  spring  or  fountain, 
squirrel,  ski'-pis. 
stomach,  la-ca'-kits. 
stone,  ka-rit'-ki. 

ka-rit'-ki-ti-di-hu',  large  stone,  rock, 
strike,  ti-ta'-hi,  he  strikes, 
strong,  tit-a'-rali-ish'. 
sugar,  la-ki'-tsu. 
summer,  li'-at. 
sun,  sak'-o-ru. 

T. 

thigh,  pa'-ki-su. 

thistle,  pi-ra-ha'-tus. 

thou,  las. 

thumb,  skits' -kuts,  big  finger. 

ske'-tsi,  finger. 
thunder,  toh-i'-ri-ru. 
tie,  sta-dlt',  he  ties. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


351 


toad,  sko-roli'-iks.    . 
tobacco,  na-wifl'-ka-ru. 

toe  nail,  as-pi'-tu. 
to-morrow,  la-hi'-sa. 
tooth, _a-do',  a-du'. 
tree,  la-klsh'. 

la-hi'-di-buts'-ki,  a  shrub,  or  small  tree. 

ti-lm'-ki-ta-hu,  on  the  tree, 
turtle,  i-caus',  i-tus'. 


ugly,  kau-holi'-ui. 


U. 


V. 


valley,  kat-os',  kat-us'. 

vein,  pa-tu-hu'-ru. 

village,  a'-hi-ta-ra,  a  town  or  village. 

W. 

walk,  ti-wa'-ri,  he  walks. 

wampum,  ki-dlks-iit'-ka-u-da'-wia. 

war-club,  a-da-ke'-du-eu'-ku. 

warrior,  a-ri-pu'-kus. 

water,  ki-tsu'. 

wasp,  pats'-bu,  wasp,  bee. 


we,  a'-hats. 

weak,  kau-ki-ta'-rali-ish. 

weed,  i'-du. 

what?ka?  (asking  a  question.) 

ta-ki'-ru-da'-hiks,  what  person  ? 
white,  ti-ta'-ka,  ta'-ka. 
who,  ta-ki'-ru. 
wife,  eV-nat-ko-ta'-te. 
wind,  o-to'-ru. 
winter,  pi'-6i-kat. 
wish,  ti-wits'-ke,  he  wishes, 
within,  kau'-wi-hi-ri. 
without,  o-ki'-ta-ha'-hi-ri. 
woman,  ea'-pat. 

do'-ras,        ) 

Y  a  young,  unmarried  woman. 
co-ra-ke,    j 

worm,  pi'-ras. 
woodcock,  kau'-pat. 

Y. 

year,  ti-ra'-ku-i-kat'-i-ha'-ru. 
yellow,  ti-rali'-at-a. 
yes,  i'-rit. 

yesterday,  ti-ruks'-a-ha'-ta-ki. 
young,  pi'-ras-ki. 


CHAPTER     XIII. 

VII.   ARI'KAEAS. 

ETHNOGRAPHICAL   HISTORY. 

» 

THE  Arikaras,  or  Rees,  as  they  are  called  by  the  French  traders,  were  originally  the  same 
people  as  the  Pawnees  of  the  Platte  River,  their  language  being  nearly  the  same.  That 
they  migrated  upward,  along  the  Missouri,  from  their  friends  below,  is  established  by  the 
remains  of  their  dirt  villages,  which  are  yet  seen  along  that  river,  though  at  this  time 
mostly  overgrown  with  grass.  At  what  time  they  separated  from  the  parent  stock  is  not 
now  correctly  known,  though  some  of  their  locations  appear  to  have  been  of  very  ancient 
date,  at  least  previous  to  the  commencement  of  the  fur  trade  on  the  Upper  Missouri.  At 
the  time  when  the  old  French  and  Spanish  traders  began  their  dealings  with  the  Indians 
of  the  Upper  Missouri,  the  Arikara  village  was  situated  a  little  above  the  mouth  of  Grand 
VOL.  xir. — 45 


352  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

Elver,  since  which  time  they  have  made  several  removals,  and  arc  now  located  at  Fort 
Clark,  the  former  village  of  the  Mandans. 

The  Arikaras  have  never  manifested  a  very  friendly  disposition  toward  white  men ;  in 
deed,  it  is  said,  that  feelings  of  bitter  animosity  and  hatred  toward  them  are  taught  to  their 
children,  as  soon  as  they  are  able  to  understand.  This  appears  to  have  been  a  traditionary 
custom  handed  down  from  their  ancestors,  originating,  no  doubt,  in  some  difficulties  with 
the  first  settlers  of  the  Western  borders,  which  also  were  the  probable  cause  of  their  emigra 
tion.  Whatever  the  cause  may  have  been,  this  system  of  education  has  been  persisted  in 
with  the  young  even  to  the  present  time,  and  the  consequences  have  been  severely  felt 
through  successive  generations.  It  was  with  great  difficulty  that  a  trade  could  be  opened 
with  them,  when  they  inhabited  their  old  village  near  Grand  River,  and  individual  enter 
prise  had  established  trading-posts  for  the  Dakotas  and  other  tribes  lower  down.  Their 
thieving  and  murderous  propensities  were  so  great,  that  but  few  men  would  run  the  risk 
of  living  among  them,  and  repeated  attempts  resulted  in  the  deaths  of  those  who  tried  the 
experiment.  Still  others  ventured,  and  in  the  course  of  time  a  trade  in  their  village  was 
begun,  though  not  established  on  a  veiy  secure  basis.  At  the  time  the  trade  commenced 
on  the  Upper  Missouri,  the  Arikaras  numbered  from  one  hundred  and  eighty  to  two  hun 
dred  cabins,  and  eight  hundred  warriors. 

The  cabins  or  huts  of  the  Arikaras  and  other  stationary  tribes  are  built  by  planting  four 
posts  in  the  ground  in  the  form  of  a  square,  the  posts  being  forked  at  the  top  to  receive 
transverse  beams.  To  the  beams  other  timbers  are  attached,  the  lower  extremities  of 
which  describe  a  circle,  or  nearly  so,  the  interstices  being  filled  with  small  twigs,  the  whole 
thickly  overlaid  with  willows,  rushes,  and  grass,  and  plastered  over  with  mud,  laid  on  very 
tliick.  A  hole  is  left  in  the  top  for  the  smoke  to  pass  out,  and  another  in  the  side  for  the 
door.  This  is  the  position  of  the  building  above  ground,  but  within  the  circle  an  excava 
tion  is  made  two  to  four  feet  deep,  and  thus  persons  can  stand  upright  or  walk  about  with 
case  in  the  interior,  except  at  the  portion  of  the  circle  where  the  beds  of  the  inmates  are 
made.  The  door  opens  a  few  steps  distant  from  the  main  building,  on  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  from  which  by  a  gradual  descent  through  a  covered  passage  of  about  ten  feet,  the 
interior  of  the  hut  is  reached.  The  door  is  of  wood,  and  the  aperture  large  enough  to 
admit  a  favorite  horse  to  the  family  circle,  which  is  often  done.  Around  the  house  on  the 
outside  a  small  trench  is  dug,  to  carry  away  the  rain. 

These  buildings  are  located  within  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  of  each  other,  without  any 
regard  to  regularity  ;  nothing  like  streets  are  formed,  and  the  houses  are  so  much  alike 
that  a  stranger  is  liable  to  lose  his  way  in  the  village. 

These  Indians  cultivate  small  patches  of  land  on  the  Missouri  bottom,  each  family  till 
ing  from  a  half  to  one  and  a  half  acres,  which  are  separated  from  each  other  by  rude  brush 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  353 

and  pole  fences.  The  land  is  wrought  entirely  with  hoes  by  the  women,  and  the  vegeta 
bles  raised  are  Indian  corn,  pumpkins,  and  squashes  of  several  kinds.  The  corn  is  said 
to  be  the  original  kind  discovered  with  the  continent,  and  is  quite  different  in  appearance 
from  that  raised  in  the  States.  The  stalk  is  from  three  to  six  feet  in  height,  seldom  more 
than  four  or  four  and  a  half  feet,  and  the  cars  grow  in  clusters  near  the  surface  of  the 
ground.  One  or  two  ears  sometimes  grow  higher  upon  the  stalk,  which  appears  too  slen 
der  to  support  any  more.  The  grain  is  small,  hard,  and  covered  with  a  thicker  shell  than 
that  raised  in  warmer  climates.  It  does  not  possess  the  same  nutritive  qualities  as  food 
for  animals  as  the  larger  kind,  but  is  more  agreeable  to  the  taste  of  the  Indians.  It  is 
raised  with  so  little  labor  that  it  seems  well  calculated  for  them.  An  acre  usually  pro 
duces  about  twenty  bushels.  When  green,  a  portion  is  gathered  and  partially  boiled, 
after  which  it  is  dried,  shelled,  and  laid  aside.  This  is  called  sweet  corn,  and  is  preserved 
any  length  of  time,  and  when  well  boiled  it  differs  little  from  green  corn  fresh  from  the 
stalk.  The  Indians  plant  about  the  middle  of  April  or  the  beginning  of  May,  according 
to  the  mildness  or  severity  of  the  spring,  and  the  ears  are  gathered  about  the  beginning 
of  August.  The  crops  are  not  uniformly  good,  being  subject  to  inundations  from  the 
Missouri,  or  to  long  periods  of  drouth.  A  moderately  wet  season  is  always  favorable,  and 
from  two  thousand  to  four  thousand  bushels  of  corn  are  raised  by  this  nation.  Cellars  are 
dug  within  the  houses,  in  which  the  various  kinds  of  produce  are  stored. 

Many  superstitious  rites  and  ceremonies  are  performed  at  the  time  of  planting  corn,  and 
also  at  different  periods  during  the  growth  of  the  crops ;  some  or  perhaps  all  of  which 
take  their  rise  in  ancient  tradition,  and  are  very  singular,  and  exhibit  the  original  modes  of 
thought  and  worship  practised  by  their  forefathers.  Some  of  them  are  very  indelicate  in 
their  character,  and  indicate  the  lowest  state  of  animal  degradation. 

After  corn,  squashes  next  claim  their  attention  in  agriculture.  They  grow  on  large  and 
very  strong  vines,  and  are  of  various  sizes  and  shapes.  They  are  either  boiled  and  eaten 
when  green,  or  cut  up  and  dried  for  winter  use.  In  the  latter  case  they  become  very  hard, 
and  are  scarcely  edible  when  cooked,  except  by  the  natives,  who  seem  to  devour  them  with 
a  gusto  and  a  preference  not  shown  for  any  other  vegetable  except  sweet  corn. 

The  crops  being  gathered  in,  are  stored  away  in  the  cellars  before  alluded  to,  or  buried 
on  the  field  in  different  places,  in  what  are  called  by  the  Canadian  traders  caches,  so  con 
structed  as  to  be  impervious  to  rain,  and  so  well  covered  that  no  one  could  discover  them 
without  a  knowledge  of  their  locality.  Whatever  is  concealed  in  this  way  is  intended  to 
remain  in  the  ground  until  the  succeeding  spring,  at  which  time  buffalo  usually  being  far 
distant,  it  is  their  only  resource  for  food.  Besides  the  great  advantages  accruing  to  them 
selves  over  other  wandering  tribes,  by  tilling  the  soil,  they  have  two  markets  for  their  sur 
plus  produce.  The  first  is  the  fort  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  located  near  their 


354  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPUT   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 

village,  at  which  they  trade  from  five  hundred  to  eight  hundred  bushels  in  a  season.  This 
trade  on  the  part  of  the  Indians  is  carried  on  by  the  women,  who  bring  the  corn  by  pan- 
fuls  or  the  squashes  in  strings,  and  receive  in  exchange  knives,  hoes,  combs,  beads,  paints, 
&c.,  also  ammunition,  tobacco,  and  other  useful  articles  for  their  husbands.  In  this  way 
each  family  is  supplied  with  all  the  smaller  articles  needed  for  a  comfortable  existence ; 
and  though  the  women  perform  all  the  labor,  they  are  compensated  by  having  their  full 
share  of  the  profits. 

The  second  market  for  their  grain  is  with  several  bands  of  the  Dakotas,  who  are  at  peace 
with  them.  These  Indians  make  their  annual  visits  to  the  Arikaras,  bringing  buffalo- 
robes,  skins,  meat,  &c.,  which  they  exchange  for  corn ;  and  the  robes  and  skins  thus  ob 
tained  enable  the  Arikaras  to  buy  at  the  trading-post  the  various  cloths  and  cooking 
utensils  needed  by  the  women,  and  the  guns,  horses,  &c.,  required  by  the  men. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  winter  the  Arikaras  leave  their  village  in  quest  of  buffalo, 
which  seldom  approach  near  enough  to  be  killed  in  the  vicinity  of  their  cabins.  They 
then  encamp  in  skin  tents,  in  various  directions  from  the  Missouri  or  along  its  banks, 
wherever  the  buffalo  may  chance  to  range.  They  pass  the  winter  in  hunting,  and  return 
to  their  permanent  village  early  in  the  spring,  bringing  with  them  their  skins  in  an  un 
prepared  state,  with  a  great  supply  of  meat.  The  buffalo  skins  are  then  dressed  into  robes 
before  the  season  for  planting  arrives,  and  the  meat  with  their  reserves  of  corn  enables  them 
to  live  well.  The  Arikaras  are  also  good  fishermen,  and  take  the  fish  by  placing  pens 
made  of  willows  in  the  eddies  of  the  Missouri.  The  fish  entering  the  door  of  the  pen  or 
basket,  it  is  closed,  and  often  large  numbers  are  thus  secured.  The  Arikaras  arc  also 
good  swimmers,  venturing  out  on  floating  cakes,  of  ice  when  the  Missouri  breaks  in  the 
spring,  and  bringing  ashore  the  bodies  of  drowned  buffalo  that  are  drifting  by.  Multitudes 
of  these  animals,  in  attempting  to  cross  the  river  in  the  fall  before  the  ice  is  strong  enough 
to  support  them,  break  through,  and  often  whole  herds  are  thus  drowned,  their  bodies 
remaining  in  the  mud  until  the  ice  moves  in  the  spring,  when  they  are  carried  down  by 
the  current.  They  are  often  piled  up  along  the  shore,  impregnating  the  air  with  their 
decomposing  flesh.  Even  in  this  condition  the  Arikaras  seem  to  prefer  the  meat,  which 
is  eaten  raw,  and  though  one  would  suppose  that  disease  in  its  worst  forms  would  be 
engendered,  no  injurious  results  follow. 

The  gathering  of  drift-wood  in  the  spring  is  also  a  very  hazardoiis  employment,  and  is 
performed  almost  entirely  by  the  women.  There  being  but  little  timber  for  fuel  in  the 
vicinity  of  their  village,  it  becomes  necessary  for  them  to  secure  the  drift-wood  in  the  time 
of  high  water  in  the  spring,  and  then  the  women  sail  out  on  the  masses  of  ice,  attach  cords 
to  the  floating  trees,  and  haul  them  to  land.  Whenever  there  is  an  unusual  quantity  of 
wood  floating  down  the  current,  all  the  village,  men,  women,  and  children,  turn  out,  and 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  355 

the  river  is  alive  with  them  from  shore  to  shore,  leaping  from  one  cake  of  ice  to  another, 
sometimes  falling  in  and  whirling  by  in  the  rapid  current.  It  is  very  dangerous  employ 
ment,  yet  they  are  so  nimble,  so  expert  swimmers,  and  such  good  judges  of  the  solidity 
of  the  ice-cakes,  that  comparatively  few  accidents  occur.  Such  arc  some  of  their  resources 
for  living,  and  poor  as  they  are  they  are  better  than  those  of  the  Dakotas  and  other  wan 
dering  tribes. 

The  Arikaras,  though  stupid  in  many  respects,  show  considerable  ingenuity  in  making 
tolerably  good  and  well-shaped  vessels  for  cooking  purposes.  They  arc  wrought  by  hand 
out  of  clay,  and  baked  in  the  fire,  though  not  glazed.  They  consist  of  pots,  pans,  por 
ringers,  and  mortars  for  pounding  corn.  They  are  of  a  gray  color,  stand  well  the  action 
of  fire,  and  are  nearly  as  strong  as  ordinary  potter's  ware.  For  pounding  corn  and  other 
hard  substances,  they  make  also  mortars  of  stone,  working  the  material  into  shape  with 
great  labor  and  perseverance.  These  utensils,  though  clumsy,  seem  to  be  preferred  by 
them  to  metallic  ones,  for  though  the  latter  can  now  be  had  at  a  trifling  cost,  they  con 
tinue  their  manufacture,  and  will  scarcely  exchange  them  for  others,  to  us,  more  conve 
nient  and  durable.  They  also  possess  the  art  of  melting  beads  of  different  colors,  and 
casting  them  in  moulds  of  clay  for  ornaments,  some  of  which  are  very  handsome.  In 
common  with  the  Mandans  and  Minnetarees,  they  make  skin  canoes,  which  are  of  great 
service  to  them.  The  body  of  the  boat  is  made  of  willows,  bent  round  like  a  basket,  and 
tied  to  a  hoop  at  the  top,  which  forms  a  circle  about  three  or  four  feet  in  diameter.  The 
hide  of  a  buffalo,  either  fresh  from  the  animal,  or  if  dry,  well  soaked  in  water,  is  stretched 
over  the  frame,  the  hair  side  within.  It  is  then  turned  upside  down,  dried,  and  sometimes 
smeared  with  tallow.  The  whole  is  made  of  a  single  skin,  can  be  carried  easily  by  a 
woman  from  place  to  place,  and  will  convey  three  men  across  the  Missouri  with  tolerable 
safety. 

The  domestic  character  and  habits'  of  the  Arika,ras  are  decidedly  move  filthy  than  those 
of  any  other  tribe  on  the  Upper  Missouri.  In  their  dress,  they  are  greasy  and  slovenly, 
both  men  and  women,  and  their  hair  is  seldom  untangled  by  a  comb,  though  frequently 
amongst  the  men  stuck  together  in  tufts  with  gum,  and  then  plastered  over  with  clay, 
grease,  and  paint,  affording  excellent  pasture-ground  for  vermin,  which  grow  to  a  great 
size,  multiply  and  spread  over  the  cranium  and  clothes,  and  even  into  every  nook  and 
corner  of  their  cabins.  There  are  neither  handsome  men  nor  women  among  them ;  the 
former  have  sharp,  sneaking,  thieving  looks,  shabby  in  their  dress,  and  ungraceful  in  their 
general  deportment,  and  the  latter  coarse  features,  thick  lips,  short  and  thick-set  persons, 
and  both  young,  and  old  are  often  more  or  less  tainted  with  syphilitic  diseases. 

Many  of  the  Arikara  families  are  said  to  sleep  indiscriminately  together,  the  father 
beside  the  daughter,  the  brother  with  the  sister,  and  this  is  the  only  nation  in  which 
incest  is  not  regarded  as  disgraceful  and  criminal. 


356 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 


The  literature  of  the  Arikara  language  is  quite  brief.  They  call  themselves  Sa-nish' 
or  Ta-nish',  which  means  "  the  people,"  a  common  form  of  expression  among  the  Indian 
tribes,  indicating  their  supposed  superiority  in  their  own  estimation,  llces,  Ricaras, 
Aricaras,  Arickaras,  &c.,  are  names  which  have  been  given  them  by  the  early  traders,  but 
their  origin  is  obscure.  The  first  vocabulary  of  their  language,  which  is  quite  an  exten 
sive  and  excellent  one,  was  obtained  by  the  Prince  Neuwied,  in  the  winter  of  1833  and 
'4.  At  that  time,  the  Arikaras  did  not  occupy  their  village  on  the  Missouri,  but  had  re 
moved  the  year  before,  far  into  the  prairie  country  toward  the  southwest,  and  were  said 
to  live  somewhere  near  the  sources  of  the  Plattc  Elver.  The  exact  time  of  their  return  is 
not  known  to  me,  but  it  must  have  been  soon  after,  or  rather  their  absence  could  not 
have  been  more  than  three  or  four  years.  At  the  time  when  Catlin  visited  the  Upper 
Missouri,  the  Arikaras  lived  in  their  dirt  village  near  the  mouth  of  Grand  lliver.  In 
the  appendix  to  his  important  work  on  the  North  American  Indians,  he  has  given  an  ex 
cellent  though  brief  vocabulary.  No  others  of  importance  have  been  published,  so  far  as 
I  can  learn.  The  following  vocabulary,  which  is  more  extensive  than  any  ever  before 
obtained,  was  taken  by  me  from  the  lips  of  an  Arikara  chief,  aided  by  Mr.  Andrew 
Dawson,  an  intelligent  Scotchman,  who  was  superintendent  of  Fort  Clark  for  many  years, 
and  spoke  the  Arikara  language  with  a  good  degree  of  fluency.  From  the  Indian  chief 
I  obtained  the  correct  pronunciation,  and  from  Mr.  Dawson  the  true  meaning  of  the 
words.  I  therefore  publish  it  in  this  memoir,  with  a  good  degree  of  confidence  in  its  ac 
curacy. 


rilllASES,    NUMERALS,    ETC. 


ti-hc-po'-nti-he,  on  the  tree  yonder, 
a-ka'-nu-tik-a'-ku,  inside  the  house, 
wet-heu'-kut-a,  go  across  the  water, 
shish-hau'-kut-a,  come  across  the  water, 
ka-weu'-trc-ha-na'-ni-ku,  are  you  married  ? 
(5e-kun-hau-whit',  where  are  you  going  ? 
sku'-hu-ne-sic-ah-u,  give  me  a  knife, 
koh'-ti-kut'-cish,  I  will  be  glad, 
tut-i-tik'-ush,  I  am  strong, 
tre-tik'-ush,  you  arc  strong, 
aps-ko'-tik-ot,  he  will  die. 
koh'-he'-kot,  you  will  die. 
koli-tik-ot',  I  will  die. 
we-te-ko'-te-hem',  I  am  dying, 
we-tuh-nu'-ba-ik,  he  speaks  bad  of  me. 
na-tu-tesh'-h'a,  I  am  wise. 
tash-lia',  you  are  wise. 


ka-kesh'-ka,  you  are  not  wise. 

koh -tcsh'-ka,  I  will  be  wise. 

koh -esh'-ka,  you  will  be  wise. 

c'c-kiin'-hau-kre,  where  have  you  been  ? 

we-tut-swin'-heu,  it  rains  hard. 

wi-ta'-su,  it  is  raining. 

wi-ta'-ha,  it  is  snowing. 

shuh-kre'-nit,  put  some  wood  on  the  fire. 

tir-aub'-sha,  it  is  smoking. 

ta-we'-ris-ta,  it  is  a  warm  day. 

tir-i-wi'-it,  it  is  hot. 

tip'-,si,  it  is  cold. 

wet-ik'-ot,  it  is  dead. 

wet-ster'-it,  it  is  tied. 

kak-stcr'-it,  it  is  not  tied. 

shiih-he-re'-pi, 

shuh-ster'-it, 


) 

-    tie  it,  (imp.) 
J 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


357 


shuli-o'-tit,  kill  him. 

sh fili-tail',  strike  him. 

ta'-ku-to-tit,  I  killed  him. 

we-ta-tuli'-o-tit,  I  have  killed  him. 

koli-tik-o'-tit,  I  will  kill  him. 

wet-a-tuli'-ster-it,  I  have  tied  it. 

koh-ster'-it,  I  will  tie  it. 

ta-tu-te'-rit-ku-nuTi,  I  saw  a  bear. 

ta-tu-te'-ri-ku,  I  see  it. 

we'-ta-tu-ter'-it,  I  have  just  observed  it. 

ka-ka-ku'-ter-it,  I  do  not  see  it. 

te-ku-na'-rit,  where  does  it  stand  ? 

ti-it'-ne-sic,  this  is  a  knife. 

sa-nish'-ta-ka-a-ka'-nu-tish-ku'-nit,    the    white     man's 

house  is  near, 
wc-ta'-ti-kut'-cish,  I  am  glad. 


we-tre-kut'-cish,  you  are  glad. 

kuli-e-kut'-eish,  you  will  be  glad. 

ni-ku'-ta-wi-ku'-su-na'-ka-wa,  where  the  sparrowhawk 
builds  its  nest,  Square  Butte  Creek. 

wi-sa'-sa-nin'-i,  Heart  River. 

wi-tcts-han-sa-nin'-i,  Gros  Ventres  Creek. 

wa-hu-tu'-nu,  Wind  Butte. 

sa-ka-nin'-i,  our  village,  the  Eee  Village. 

ka-nu-na-e'-wat,  the  stone  that  reveals  the  news.  This 
rock  is  seen  about  two  days'  journey  from  the  lice 
Village,  and  is  considered  sacred  by  the  Indians. 

ka-nit',  Mandans. 

wi-tets'-han,  Minnetarees,  well-dressed  people. 

sun-nun'-at,  the  Dakotas,  meaning  of  the  word  un 
known. 

sa-nish',  "the  people." 


NAMES   OP   BANDS. 


1.  suli-ut'-it,  Black  Mouths. 

2.  ho-suk'-hau-nu,  Foolish  Dogs. 

3.  ha-cV-pi-ri-i-nu',  Young  Dogs. 

4.  hi'-a,  Band  of  Crees. 


5.  o-kos',  Band  of  Bulls. 

6.  ka-ka',  Band  of  Crows. 

7.  ho-suk'-hau-nu  ka-ke'-ri-hu,  Little  Foolish  Dogs. 

8.  pau-shuk',  Band  of  Cut-throats. 


NAMES   OF   PRINCIPAL   MEN   OP  EACH   BAND. 


1.  su-ta'-ka,  The  White  Shield.  5.  ku-nu-te'-shan,  Chief  Bear. 

2.  sit-hau'-ce,  The  one  who  first  rushes  on  the  enemy.  6.  tuh'-ni-na-ka-ta'-au-u-kut,  lie  who  strikes  the  foe 

3.  ci-na'-ni-tu,  The  Brother.  between  two  fires. 

4.  de-re-na'-kut-a,  Yellow  Wolf.  7.  ti-ga-ra-nish',  He  who  strikes  many. 


NUMERALS. 


one,  ah'-o. 

two,  pit'-i-ku. 

three,  ta-whit'. 

four,  cV-tish. 

five,  she'-hu. 

six,  sha'-pis. 

seven,  tup-sha'-pis-wan. 

eight,  tup-sha'-pis. 

nine,  nuli-i-ni'-wan. 

ton,  nuh-i-ni'. 

eleven,  pit'-i-ku-nfih-i-ni'-wan. 

twelve,  pit'-ik-oli'-in-i. 

thirteen,  na'-ku-git'-a-wan. 


fourteen,  na-ku'-git. 
fifteen,  ah'-ko-git'-u. 
sixteen,  wi-tuc'. 
seventeen,  wi-tu6'-is-ku'-git. 
eighteen,  wi-tau'-an. 
nineteen,  wi-tau'-ali-ko-ka'-ki. 
twenty,  wi-tau'. 
twenty-one,  wi-tau'-ali-o. 
twenty-two,  wi-tau-pit'-i-ku. 
twenty-three,  wi-tau'-ta-whit'. 
twenty-four,  wi-tau'-na-6e'-tish. 
twenty-five,  wi-tau'-na-she'-hu. 
twenty-six,  wi-tau'-na-sha'-pis. 


358 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


twenty-seven,  wi-tau'-na-tup-sha'-pis-wan. 
twenty-eigh  t,  wi-tau'-na-tup-sha'-pis. 
twenty-nine,  wi-tau'-na-nuli-i-ni'-wan. 
thirty,  sa-wi'-u. 

thirty-one,  wi-tau-pit'-i-ku-nuli'-i-ni'-wan. 
thirty-two,  wi-tau-pit'-ik-oli'-in-i. 
thirty-eight,  pit'-i-ku-na-nu-wan'. 
thirty-nine,  pit'-i-ku-na-nu'-ali-o-ka'-ki. 
forty,  pit'-i-ku-na-nu'. 
forty-one,  pit'-i-ku-na-nu'-na-ah'-o. 
fifty,  pit'-i-ku-na-nu'-na-nuh'-i-na. 
fifty-one,  pit'-i-ku-na-nu-pit'-i-ku-nul'i-i-ni'-wan. 
fifty-eight,  ta-whit'-ku-na-nu'-wan.  9 

fifty-nine,  ta-whit'-ku-na-nu'-al'i-o-ka'-ki. 
sixty,  ta-whit'-ku-na-nu'. 
sixty-one,  ta-whit'-ku-na-nu'-na-ali'-o. 
seventy,  ta-whit'-ku-na-nu'-na-nuh'-i-ni. 
seventy-eight,  cV-tish-ta-nu-wan'. 
seventy-nine,  cV-tish-ta-nu-ah'-o-ka-ki. 
eighty,  cY-tish-ta-nu'. 
eighty-one,  cY-tish-ta-nu'-na-ali'-o. 
ninety,  cV-tish-ta-nu'-na-nuli'-i-ni. 
ninety-eight,  shc'-hu-ta-nu-wan'. 
ninety-nine,  she'-hu-ta-nu-na-ali'-o-ka-ki. 
one  hundred,  she'-hu-ta-nu. 
one  hundred  and  one,  she-hu'-ta-nu'-na-ah'-o. 
one  hundred  and  eighteen,  sha'-pis-ta-nu-wan'. 
one  hundred  and  nineteen,  sha'-pis-ta-nu-ali'-o-ka-ki. 
one  hundred  and  twenty,  sha'-pis-ta-nu. 
one  hundred  and  thirty,  sha'-pis-ta-nu-nuh'-i-ni. 
one  hundred  and  thirty-eight,  tup-sha'-pis-wan-a-nu'- 
wan. 


one  hundred  and  thirty-nine,  tup-shu'-pis-wan-sa  nish'- 

ali'-o-ka'-ki. 

one  hundred  and  forty,  tup-sha'-pis-wan-sa-nish'. 
one  hundred  and  fifty,  tup-sha'-pis-wan-sa-nish'-nuli'- 

i-ni. 

one  hundred  and  fifty-eight,  tup-sha'-pis-ta-nu-wau'. 
one   hundred   and   fifty-nine,  tup-sha'-pis-ta-nu'-ali-o- 

ka'-ki. 

one  hundred  and  sixty,  tup-sha'-pis-sa-nish',  or,  ta-nu'. 
one  hundred  and  seventy,  tup-sha'-pis-ta-nu'-na-nuh'- 

i-ni. 
one  hundred  and  seventy-eight,  nuli'-i-ni-wan'-na-nu- 

wan'. 
one  hundred  and  seventy-nine,  nuh'-i-ni-wan'-sa-nish'- 

na-ali-o-ka'-ki. 

one  hundred  and  eighty,  nuli'-i-ni-wan'-sa-nisli'. 
one   hundred  and  ninety,   nuh'-i-ni-wan'-sa-nish'-na- 

nuli'-i-ni. 

one  hundred  and  ninety-eight,  nuh'-i-ni-na-nu-wan'. 
one   hundred  and  ninety-nine,   nuh'-i-ni-na-nu'-uh-o- 

ka'-ki. 

two  hundred,  nfili'-i-ni-na-nu',  or,  sa-nish'. 
three  hundred,  ali-o-git'-u-sa-nish'. 
four  hundred,  wi-tau'-sa-nish'. 
five  hundred,  wi-tau'-na-she'-hu-sa-nish'. 
six  hundred,  sa-wi'-u-sa-nish'. 
seven  hundred,  wi-tau'-ah-o-git'-u-sa-nish'. 

• 

eight  hundred,  pit'-i-ku-na-nu'-sa-nish'. 

nine  hundred,  pit'-i-ku-na-nu'-na-she'-hu-sa-uish'. 

one  thousand,  pit'-i-ku-na-nu-na-nuh'-i-ni-sa-nish'. 


VOCABULARY   OF   THE   ARl'lCARA   DIALECT   OF   THE   PAWNEE   LANGUAGE. 


A. 
above,  as'-kut. 

as-kut'-nu-he,  far  above,  in  the  sky. 
afar,  ci'-stit,  afar  off,  away, 
alive,  tit-cit-cit'. 
all,  git'-u,  all,  the  whole. 

we-ku-tu'-ut,  all  the  time,  always, 
ankle,  in-e-sa-wi'-o. 


antelope,  na-nu-na<5'. 
ant,  pit'-a-ru. 
arm,  wi'-nu. 
arrow,  ni-shu'. 
ash,  cin-i-na'-ku. 

autumn,  nis-kuli'. 

• 
awl,  tuli'-ni,  an  awl. 

axe,  ka-ta-rue. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


359 


B. 

back,  sta'-ku. 
bad,  ka-ku'-na-he'. 
bark,  na-sku'-hu. 
bead,  c7-nish. 

ci'-nish-ai-rc-push',  small  beads. 

ci'-nish-ta-ka'-ta,  yellow  beads. 

di'-nish-ka-tik',  black  beads. 
bean,  at'-it. 

at'-it-hu-na'-nun. 
bear,  ku-nuli'. 

ku-nuh'-ta-ka,  white  bear. 

ku-nul'i '-a-tik,  black  bear. 
beard,  a-ra'-nu-hu'. 
beaver,  git-ul\'. 

belt,  sah'-se'-ish,  a  leathern  belt, 
bird,  niks. 

he-rus',  a  snow-bird.    Junco  Jiyemalis. 
black,  ti-ka-tik'. 
bladder,  kali-ci'-ra-nu. 
blanket,  nau-wi'-nu. 

nauli-ta'-ka,  gray  or  white  blanket, 
nauh-ta'-ka-re-liu',  blue  blanket, 
nauh-ta'-ka-ka-tik',  black  blanket, 
naul'i-ta'-ka-pa,  a  red  blanket, 
blood,  pa'-tu. 
blue,  tit-e-re'-uli. 
boat,  na-ko-hon'. 

na-ko-hon'-ska-ru6,  a  skin  boat. 

na-kuli-wa'-na-kuh,  steamboat,  roaring  boat. 

ku'-su,  a  large  boat. 

nac,  a  wooden  boat. 

c'er'-i-pasc',  a  small  boat. 
body,  tan-ith'-tan. 
bone,  di'-shu. 
bow,  na'c. 
box,  ha'-ku. 
boy,  ini-nuli'c'. 

bread,  iz-et'-ta-ta-ish'-u,  hard  bread, 
breast,  wa'-ku-ka'-u. 
bridle,  a-ka'-ra-ka'-ra-ku. 
brother,  a-ti'-tat,  a  brother, 
i  na'-ni,  big  brother. 


shi-na'-ta-ni,  my  brother, 
na-ra-nit'-ish-u,  elder  brother, 
ka-wi'-ta,  younger  brother. 
brush,  wa-pe'-i-sus,  a  brush  for  clothes, 
buffalo,  ta'-na-ha. 

6i-wi'-e-ku,  a  male  buffalo, 
wa-tash',  a  female  or  cow. 
burning,  wct-whcu'*-ni-wit. 
burn,  t'whcu'-it,  to  burn. 

C. 
calf,  ha-nit'. 

ha-ni'-pat,  a  red  calf, 
cap,  su-na-we'-wa. 
chief,  ne-sha'-nu. 
child,  pi'-ra-o. 

pi-re-ha'-re,  a  young  child,  a  year  old,  or  more. 

pi-re-cip'-e-ri,  a  new-born  child, 
cloth,  na-wi'-nu. 

na-wi-na'-wish,  strouding,  or  blue  cloth. 

ka-ni'-u-ka-bi'-u,  a  brecchcloth. 
club,  na-kuli'-sin-it-i-wa'-ru,  a  war-club, 
coal,  a-ni'-tu-a,  a  coal  of  fire, 
coat,  u-ka'-wic. 

u-ka'-wi6-ti-pas'c',  a  shirt,  thin  coat. 
coffee,  ska-tit', 
cold,  tip'-si. 

cord,  liat^se'-i-shu,  a  string  or  cord, 
corn,  ne-<5i'-i-shu. 
cow,  wa-tash'. 

ta-na-ha'-ta-ka,  white  man's  cow. 
crow,  ka'-ka.      Corvm. 
crying,  ti-di'-kut. 

D. 

darkness,  tik-a-tis'-tit. 

daughter,  su-nac'-ku-ta'-ti,  my  daughter,  or  the  girl 

belonging  to  me. 
su-nac'-kut'li-ra,  your  daughter,  or  the  girl 

belonging  to  you. 
su-nae',  a  girl, 
day,  sha-ker'-i-6ish'-kut. 

sha-u'-nu-ker'-i-kut,  midday, 
wait-hi'-i-sha,  daj'dawn. 
shak'-u-git'-u,  all  the  day. 


VOL.  xii. — 46 


*  Pronounced  like  whew. 


360 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY  AND  PHILOLOGY   OF  THE 


dead,  tik'-aut. 
deer,  nu-na6'. 

ta'-pat,  red  deer. 

a-rik'-a-ra'-nu,  a  male  deer. 

ta-ka-tit',  black-tailed  deer, 
did,  ta-tuli'-na,  I  did  it. 
dish,  tiih-ci'-ka,  a  cup  or  dish, 
disposition,  wi-su-tuli'-ni,  a  good  heart,  a  good  dis 

position, 
dog,  hanc. 

ha-ta'-ka,  a  white  dog. 

ha-kun'-hauf,  an  old  dog. 

ha-suli'-tit,  an  old,  female  dog. 
door,  ne-kub'-i.  and  ne-ka-wi'-o. 
dove,  wac.     Zenauhtra  Carollnentfg. 
dress,  ah-kn'-ku,  head-dress, 
drink,  wi-tut'-ska-ni'-is, 
ci-ka'-hu, 


£  to  drink. 


E. 
eagle,  pi-ac',  gray  eagle. 

ne-tuk'-us,  war  eagle, 
ar-et',  bald  eagle. 
ear,  at-cT-isb-u,  and  a-tik-a'-nu. 
earth,  hu-na'-nu,  ground,  earth, 
eat,  ti-wa'-wa-a,  to  eat. 
egg,  ni-pi'-kn. 
elk,  na. 

lwa-o-kos',  a  male  elk. 
wa-wa'-tash,  a  female  elk. 
wa-ha'-nic,  a  calf  elk. 
enemy,  pa'-tu,  and  hish. 
eye,  ci-ri'-ku,  and  hcr-i-i'-ku. 
lier-i-nu-nan',  sore  eyes. 

F. 

face,  ka'-u. 
fat,  hi<;. 

father,  at-i-uh',  my  father, 
ha-uh',  your  father, 
i-nh'-tik,  his  father, 
at-i-uli-wa-ruh-te,  my  medicine  father,  the 

Great  Spirit, 
feather,  he'-tu. 


few,  sali'sh,  a  few. 
finger,  sei'-shu. 

shu-wi'-tu,  finger-nails, 
fire,  ti-kai'-it,  and  ha-ni'-tu. 
fish,  gi-wac'. 

han-we-ru'-kut-oh,  flatfish. 

gi-wa-nan'-shish-u,  catfish. 

hish,  a  pike, 
flint,  ne-sit'-a-nu. 
flower,  pa-kish'. 
fly,  sup-i-na'-nu. 

foolish,  ti-sa'-ko,  foolish,  crazy,  a  lewd  woman, 
foot,  ah'-u. 
forest,  tu'-hu-na'-de. 
forever,  ti-ra'-nau6. 
fort,  na-wi'-u,  a  fort, 
fowl,  nuks-ci'-re-kuc'. 
fox,  gi-wa-ku',  a  gray  fox. 

gi-wa-ku'-ku-su,  a  large  fox. 
friend,  si-nun'. 

G. 

girl,  su-nuh'c'. 
good,  tuli'-ne. 

nun-hi-nan-tuli'-ni,  beyond  good,  better, 
tuli-ni-nun'-hi-nan-git'-u,  good  beyond  all,  best, 
tuli'-ni-su-shu'-hin-i,  good  among  inferior  objects, 

used  only  in  comparison, 
ka-kiih'-ne,  not  good,  bad. 
goose,  ko'-ut,  so  named  from  its  cry. 
grass,  kut-a'-nu. 
grease,  eiz'-hic,  marrow  grease. 
great,  ti'-er-wheu. 
green,  ti-ta-re-hu',  green  or  blue, 
ground,  tuli-na-nin'-e,  plain  or  smooth  ground. 

hu-na-nin'-e,  in  the  ground, 
gun,  na'-ku. 

na-ku'-ti-pa'-kut,  an  old  gun. 
c-na'-ta-ra',  a  double-barrelled  gun. 
ka-wi'-u,  a  gun-flint. 

II. 

hail,  kat. 
hair,  o-hu',  and  pah'-tis-kun. 


INDIAN   TRIBES  OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


361 


pah'-ta-ka-ta,  yellow  hair, 
hand,  ish'-u,  and  sha-na'-ku. 

ska-tus'-u,  inside  the  hand, 
hare,  wa-ruh'.     Lepus  campcstris. 

nis.     Lepus  artemisia. 
hawk,  ('in'-'it,  a  small  hawk, 
hay,  ha-ta'-nu,  dried  grass. 
head,  pa-hu'. 

6i-ni'-tu,  back  of  the  head, 
ti-ku-pah'-tau,  headache, 
heart,  wi'-su. 
heel,  ali-a-ci'-ne-tu. 
hen,  tit,  prairie  hen.     Pedlueccles  pJiasianellus. 

ut-ka-wit',  sage  hen.    C'entroccrcus  urophatlCHHU, 
hill,  wa-u',  a  mountain, 
wa-hin'-i,  a  hill. 

wa-kut'-e-buh,  a  place  called  Cut  Butte. 
kut'-e-buli,  cut  off. 
hog,  ku-kuli',  pork,  hog. 
horse,  lia-wa-ruht'. 

ha-ci-za-wet'-a,  a  white  horse, 
ha'-wa-ruh-te,  medicine  dog,  horse, 
hot,  ta-ba-ris'-ta. 

house,  a-ka'-nu,  and  a-ka-nuh'-ner. 
husband,  nali-tuk-u'. 

ni-koli-tuk'-u,  my  husband, 
te-na-ta'-ku,  your  husband. 

I. 

I,  na'-tu,  I,  me. 
ice,  nali'-e-tu. 
insect,  pi-ruh'. 
iron,  waps'-ish-u. 

waps'-ips-wat,  red  iron,  copper. 
island,  a-wa'-u. 

K. 

kettle,  ko-shap-shi'-shu. 

knee,  pa-6i'-shu,  and  na-hu'-na-6i'-shu. 

knife,  ne-sic'. 


L. 


lake,  ib-wha'-nu. 


land,  tuli-na-nin'-i,  fine  land,  fine  country. 

git-u'-hu-na-niu'-i,  the  whole  land. 
lariat,  ha-wi'-shi. 
laugh,  te-bah'-u. 
lead,  nish-6i-su. 
leaf,  na'-ga-ru'-ku. 
leg,  ka-hu'. 
leggins,  no-ko'-kic. 

nauli-ta'-ka-pa-o-ko'-kic1,  red  blanket  leggins. 
light,  tits-er'-i-c'ish. 
lightning,  ti-wa-waps'. 
limb,  nut-di'-ta-wi-u,  a  limb  or  branch. 
little,  ka-ki-ra'-ni-hu,  not  much,  little. 
liver,  ka-ri'-ku. 
lizard,  st'cer'-ut. 
lodge,  te-ka'-ni-hu. 

a-ka-pa'-tu,  skin  lodge,  or  an  enemy's  lodge. 
love,  te-sish'-ta,  to  love. 

II. 

man,  ter'-i,  and  wi'-ta. 

sa-nish',  a  man,  a  people. 

sa-nish-ta'-ka,  a  white  man. 

ti-ger'-ish,  a  weak  man. 

te-tir'-a-(5ish,  a  strong  man  or  animal. 

ne-sha'-nu-nau-6ish'-u,  a  great  man. 

wi-te-shuc,  a  young  unmarried  man. 

kun'-hauf,  an  old  man. 
many,  ter-heu'. 

ta-ra-ni-hu',  a  great  many,  a  heap. 
marsh,  tuh'-nu-nan'-ai-i-wun'-u,  a  bog  or  marsh. 
me,  na'-tu. 
meat,  sus'c, 


sus'c,     ) 

}• 

dashV',    j 


fresh  meat. 


ta-kali'6',  dried  meat. 
mine,  ku'-ta-tc. 
mirror,  na-nu'-ka-te'-ris-ku. 
mist,  speu. 
mink,  c-ruli'. 
moccasin,  hanc. 
moon,  pah. 
morning,  hin-uh'-tit. 
mother,  at-na',  my  mother. 
hali,  your  mother. 


362 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


shuli'-te,  his  mother, 
mouth,  ka-ka'-u. 

a-ka'-ra-nuli,  hairy  mouth. 
mud,  ho-rul\'-tu. 

t'wheu'-rut,  muddy. 
muskrat,  git-uk-a. 

N. 

nail,  shi-ni'-tn,  also  the  claws  of  an  animal. 

navel,  nis-ka-ku'-hu. 

near,  tish-ku'-nit,  near  by,  not  far  off. 

nan-shu'-tish-ku'-nit,  very  near. 

tish-ku'-nit-nun'-in-i,  near  ten,  or  about  ten. 
neck,  na-ti'-nu,  and  sen-a'-nu. 
night,  hi-nuli',  and  nut-ik'-a-nu. 
no,  ka-ki'. 
nose,  si-ni'-tu. 

O. 

oak,  ska-nuli'. 

off,  6is-tit',  far  off. 

old,  ti-pa'-kut. 

one,  o-pi-nu'-te,  the  other  one. 

a-re-isht',  either  one  you  like. 

ti-6e-nu'-tu,  -which  one  is  it  ? 
otter,  get-a'-put. 
owl,  p'hau'-ru. 
t 

P. 

paddle,  wi-er-ha'-ku. 
part,  heuc". 
penknife,  <Si-rak'. 
people,  sa'-nish,  people. 

san-ish-ta-ka,  white  people. 

git-u-san'-sta-ka,  the  whole  people, 
pepper,  a-kat'-i-tic". 
perhaps,  ci-ra'-to. 
pine,  na-hi'-shu,  pine,  pine  wood. 

nuc-e-ish'-u,  a  pine  tree. 
pipe,  na-wis'-ko6. 
polecat,  ni-bit'. 
potato,  is-ku'-su. 
powder,  liit-i-ka'-nu. 


R. 

rain,  ta-su'. 

we-ta'-tu,  it  rains, 
ramrod,  nu<5. 
red,  ti-pa'-at,  and  pa'-at. 
river,  u-sa'-nu,  and  hu-ka-ha-nu'. 

ka-to-hu'-ni,  a  small  river,  a  branch, 
road,  a-ta-nu',  a  road  or  trail, 
robe,  sa-uc',  a  buffalo-robe. 
rock,  kau'-i-ta-wi'-ut. 
rotten,  tih'-o-ut. 
run,  shu-nuh'  (imp.),  run. 

S. 

saddle,  na-ni'-di-tan-i. 
salt,  ka'-it. 
scalp,  pah'-sku-hu. 

ha-wah'-ka-wi,  scalp-lock, 
seat,  ka-tuks',  and  shuh'-wi-ta. 
see,  ti-re-wat',  to  see. 

net-i-re'-wat,  seeing. 
sheep,  a-ri6'-in-is. 
shirt,  o-kau-i6'. 

shoe,  hauli'-e-shu,  a  leather  shoe. 
shot-pouch,  par-e-tak'-u-hu. 
shoulder,  ska'-nish. 

ha-ha'-re-shu,   shoulder-blade,   or   hoe,   so 
called   because  the  shoulder-blade  of  a 
buffalo  was  formerly  used  as  a  hoc. 
silver,  waps-ips-tap'-er-wheu. 
sinew,  ah'-a-su. 
sister,  i-ta'-ni,  his  sister. 

a-ti'-tat,  my.  sister, 
skin,  ska-u6'. 

wa-ruh'-tu,  a  dressed  skin, 
sky,  ska-a-kat'-ha-wu. 
sleep,  to-kris-6i'-pi,  to  sleep. 
small,  ka-ker'-wheu. 
small-pox,  s6i-ri-6i'-shi-wa-ta. 
smoke,  ni-wi'-shu. 
snake,  nut. 
snow,  hu-na'-u. 

we-ta'-ha,  it  snows, 
son,  na-ti-na'-hu,  my  son. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


363 


na-hi-na'-hu,  your  son. 

ni-ha'-o,  his  son. 
sour,  ka-koli'-ta-ne,  not  sweet, 
spear,  hu-nuli'. 
spirit,  fi-ci'-tu. 
spring,  ish-cip'-it. 

ne-ka',  spring,  fountain, 
squash,  wa-hauli'. 
star,  sa'-ka. 

o-per'-i-ku-su,  a  collection  of  stars,  constellation, 
stirrup,  lia-ka-ta-tau'. 
stomach.,  wa-ku'-kre-ni,  and  ni-ku'-ci-shu. 
stone,  kas-nic',  a  stone,  rock, 
stream,  sa-nin'-i,  a  stream  or  creek, 
strong,  tik-liash'. 

ka-ke-liash',  weak,  not  strong. 
sugar,  ka-e'-na-ka-ta. 
summer,  ha-wi-rit'-i-kut. 
sun,  sha-ku'-nu. 
sunset,  nit-suk'-o-nish. 
swan,  sha'-tu.  . 
sweet,  tuli'-ta-ne. 

T. 

thigh,  ka-taks'. 
thin,  ti-pas'c'. 
thou,  na-hu'. 
thunder,  wa-ruh'-te. 
toad,  sku-na'-ka-ku. 
tobacco,  na-kush'-ka-nu. 
to-day,  ti-wen-sa'-ker-ic'. 
toe,  ali-cT-shu. 
tongue,  ha-tu'. 
tooth,  a-nu'. 
true,  t'ha'-pe. 

ti-wac',  it  is  true,  it  is  so. 
turkey,  nu. 
turtle,  sali. 


ugly,  pir-a-nin'-o-c'i. 


U. 


V. 


valley,  ta-wat-e-ru'-hu-nu. 


vein,  pa-te'-hu,  a  road  for  thu  blood, 
village,  i-tu'-nu. 

W. 

warrior,  nu-ti-wun'-u-hu,  one  who  goes  to  war. 
water,  sto'-h u. 

t'6in-wheu,  big  water,  sea. 
ka-kuli'-p'si,  bad  water. 

weather,  ta-wi'-ris-tu,  a  fine  day,  fine  weather, 
what  ?  ti-cV-nu,  what  is  it  ? 

ti-6e'-nu-wi'-ta,  what  man  or  person  ? 
ta-ce'-nu,  who,  or  which  one? 
where  ?  6u-hu-ni-he',  where  is  it  ? 
whip,  pin-liu',  a  small  riding  whip, 
whiskey,  6i-sin'-ah. 
white,  ta'-ka,  and  6i-sha'-wa-ta. 
whole,  6i-tu',  the  whole  of  anything. 
wife,  na-ti-na'-ta-ku,  and  ta-wi'-ni. 
wind,  t'whcut,  and  hu-tu'-nu. 

t'wheut'-a-her'-heu,  a  strong  wind, 
windpipe,  pali-nj'-shu,  and  o-ka-kuli'. 
winter,  p'si-kut'. 
within,  o-ki'-i-kut. 
without,  o-wat'-ik-ut. 
wolf,  sti-cer'-ic". 

6i-wa'-ku,  a  small  wolf, 
pa-kac',  medicine  wolf, 
pa-kac'-ti,  it  is  a  prairie  wolf, 
woman,  sa-put'. 

ta-cV-nu-sa-put',  what  woman  ? 
sul'i'-tit,  an  old  woman, 
su-nali',  a  young,  unmarried  woman. 
wood,  nu6. 

na'-kun,  logs  or  drift-wood. 


Y. 

year,  ti'-kut-i'-a-nu,  the  whole  year, 
yellow,  ti-ra-kut'-a. 
yes,  an,  and  ni-ku'-ti. 
yesterday,  ti-su'-sa-ker-i6. 
you,  ua'-hu. 
young,  tit-cip'-er-i. 


364  ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

DAKOTA     GROUP,    D; 

CHAPTER      XIV. 

• 

VIII.   DAKOTAS. 

ETHNOGRAPHICAL   HISTORY. 

THE  country  claimed  by  the  Great  Sioux  or  Dakota  nation,  prior  to  the  organization  of 
the  Territories  of  Nebraska,  Dakota,  and  Minnesota,  was  very  extensive.  Commencing 
on  the  northeastern  limit  at  Lac  qui  Parle,  an  imaginary  line  would  run  in  a  northwest 
direction,  taking  in  Lac  du  Diable,  thence  inclining  south  by  west,  including  Turtle  Moun 
tain  and  the  head  of  Pembina  River,  would  strike  the  Missouri  River  at  the  mouth  of 
Apple  River,  below  the  Gros  Ventres  village.  Crossing  the  Missouri,  it  would  proceed 
up  the  Grand  River  of  the  Arikaras  (or  even  some  distance  west  of  this  river),  bearing 
west  by  south  until  reaching  near  the  head  of  Powder  River.  From  this  point  it  would 
continue  along  the  range  of  mountains  called  the  Black  Hills  in  a  southern  direction,  until 
reaching  Fort  Laramie  on  the  Plattc,  thence  down  that  river  for  some  distance,  afterwards 
extending  east  to  the  junction  of  the  Niobrara  with  the  Missouri  River,  thence  down  that 
stream  to  the  mouth  of  Big  Sioux  River,  this  being  the  boundary  line  to  which  their 
claims  had  been  extinguished  by  the  United  States.  Proceeding  along  the  Big  Sioux 
River  inclining  northeast,  taking  in  the  Vermilion  and  James  Rivers,  their  lands  would 
terminate  by  a  junction  with  the  starting-point  at  Lac  qui  Parle.  Within  a  few  years, 
the  United  States  Government  has  purchased  of  the  Indians  much  of  the  territory  com 
prised  within  the  above  limits. 

That  portion  of  their  lands  east  and  north  of  the  Missouri  is  quite  sterile,  and  with  the 
exception  of  some  coulees  .and  hills,  formed  by  the  rivers  and  creeks,  presents  a  most 
monotonous  prairie,  many  hundred  miles  in  length  and  breadth,  very  level,  and  devoid  of 
trees,  or  even  shrubs.  The  soil  is  loose  and  sandy,  grass  rather  thin,  and  in  no  great 
variety,  that  known  as  the  short,  curly,  buffalo  grass  being  the  most  abundant.  In  former 
times,  this  was  the  great  range  for  the  buffalo,  but  of  late  years,  they  are  found  in  greater 
numbers  west  of  the  Missouri.  The  soil  is  generally  too  dry  for  agricultural  purposes, 
except  along  the  borders  of  streams,  where  it  is  for  the  most  part  quite  fertile.  In  some 
parts  where  the  vegetation  is  luxuriant,  the  grass  is  very  nutritious,  and  would,  in  common 
with  most  of  the  Northwest  Territory,  afford  good  grazing  for  horses,  horned  cattle,  and 
sheep.  Small  lakes  are  to  be  met  with  in  this  region,  from  which  the  Indians  get  their 
supply  of  water  when  travelling  across  the  prairies,  which  they  do  not  attempt  to  do 
except  in  the  summer  and  autumn,  when  the  "  buffalo  chips"  answer  the  purpose  of  fuel. 
The  terrible  snow-storms  that  sweep  over  these  plains  in  the  winter,  compel  them  to  place 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY.  365 

their  camps  along  the  rivers  where  timber  is  to  be  found.  Along  the  Coteau  de  Prairie, 
or  dividing  ridge  between  the  waters  of  Iowa  and  Missouri,  near  the  source  of  James 
River,  is  found  the  celebrated  Red  Pipestone  Quarry,  to  which  the  Indians  pay  yearly 
visits,  to  procure  materials  from  which  to  make  their  pipes.  This  material  is  found  in  no 
other  portion  of  their  country,  and  is  considered  by  them  of  great  value. 

The  surface  of  the  country  west  and  south  of  the  Missouri  River,  is  more  rolling  and 
diversified,  on  account  of  the  large  streams  that  course  their  way  through  it.  The  princi 
pal  rivers  on  that  side  of  the  Missouri  are  Niobrara,  White,  Medicine,  Tcton,  Big  Shy- 
enne,  Moreau,  Cannon-ball,  Heart,  and  Grand  Rivers.  Most  of  these  streams  have  been 
navigated  by  the  traders  with  skin  boats  during  the  spring  thaws.  They  are  well  tim 
bered  along  their  banks,  the  trees  growing  in  large  groves  or  points,  frequently  reaching 
from  one  bluff  to  the  other,  the  whole  width  of  the  valley.  The  largest  and  most  common 
trees  are  the  cottonwood,  elm,  and  ash,  though  others  of  smaller  growth  are  found. 
Though  there  are  many  tributaries  to  the  rivers  named,  running  through  the  interior,  most 
of  them  are  short,  and  only  convey  the  water  produced  by  rain  or  snow  to  the  parent 
stream.  These  are  termed  by  the  traders  and  voyageurs  coulees,  seldom  extending  more 
than  from  one  to  three  miles  in  length,  and  usually  covered  with  various  bushes,  small 
trees,  grass,  and  weeds.  Between  rivers,  and  beyond  the  heads  of  the  coulees  or  dry 
valleys,  are  large  tracts  of  table  land,  from  ten  to  fifty  miles  in  breadth,  on  which  no 
timber  is  seen,  but  where  the  spontaneous  grasses  are  very  thick,  and  of  excellent  quality. 
It  is  in  such  spots  as  these  that  the  buffalo  delight  to  remain  undisturbed,  quietly  crop 
ping  the  choice  blades  in  happy  ignorance  of  the  hordes  of  hunters  roving  through  the 
country.  Springs  impregnated  with  saline  substances  are  often  met  with,  and  the  water 
is  drank  with  eagerness  by  these  animals.  The  most  fertile  region,  however,  and  the  one 
approaching  nearest  to  a  habitable  district,  is  on  the  head  waters  of  the  Shyenne  and 
Moreau  Rivers,  commencing  at  the  eastern  base  of  the  Black  Hills,  and  running  north 
east  for  the  distance  of  sixty  or  eighty  miles.  The  prairies  here  are  undulating,  well 
wooded,  well  watered,  and  present  much  varied,  beautiful,  and  enlivening  scenery  to  the 
eye  of  the  traveller.  Indeed,  with  but  the  exception  of  that  portion  of  the  Dakota  lands 
situated  west  of  the  "  Mauvaises  Terres"  or  "  Bad  Lands,"  on  the  source  of  White  River, 
the  rest  cannot  be  regarded  as  an  entirely  barren  district,  though  to  what  extent  grain 
could  be  produced  has  not  been  determined. 

Many  fabulous  stories  in  regard  to  the  Black  Hills  are  related  by  the  Indians,  and  are 
believed  by  them  even  to  this  day.  They  say  that  rumbling  noises,  like  the  sound  of  distant 
thunder,  arc  not  infrequent,  and  one  of  the  principal  peaks  is  called  by  them  the  Hill  of 
Thunder.  In  1833  they  supposed  it  to  be  on  fire,  and  on  almost  any  clear  day  they  say 
large  volumes  of  smoke  could  be  seen,  which  they  regarded  as  the  breathing  of  the  great 


366  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND    PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

white  man  buried  beneath.  Unnatural  noises  are  said  to  be  heard,  which,  whether  ori 
ginating  in  their  fancy,  or  caused  by  wild  beasts,  are  thought  to  be  the  moans  of  the  great 
white  giant  when  pressed  upon  by  rocks,  as  a  punishment  for  being  the  first  aggressor  on 
their  territory.  They  say  that  he  issues  forth  occasionally,  and  his  tracks  seen  in  the  snow 
are  twenty  feet  in  length.  He  is  condemned  to  perpetual  incarceration  under  the  moun 
tain  as  an  example  to  all  white  men  to  leave  the  Indians  in  quiet  possession  of  their 
hunting  grounds.  This  story,  though  fabulous,  shows  their  ancient  and  intense  repug 
nance  to  the  encroachments  of  other  and  distinct  races. 

Southeast  of  the' Black  Hills  is  a  large  area  of  country  known  as  the  "Mauvaiscs 
Terres,"  or  "  Bad  Lands,"  which  is  very  remarkable  for  its  unique  scenery  and  the  organic 
remains  entombed  in  its  strata.  The  portion  of  country  to  Avhich  this  name  has  been  espe 
cially  applied  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  length,  and  sixty  miles  in  width. 
There  are  many  other  portions  of  the  Northwest  to  which  this  term  is  applicable,  but  no 
other  area  so  large  possesses  this  uniform  character.  It  is  hardly  possible  to  describe  this 
singular  country.  Along  White  River,  for  sixty  miles  in  length  and  fifteen  to  twenty  in 
breadth,  the  country  presents  the  appearance  in  the  distance  of  one  vast  city,  and  but 
little  imagination  is  required  to  see  immense  public  edifices,  towers,  churches,  &c.,  with 
people  on  their  summits.  What  tends  to  make  the  illusion  more  perfect,  is  that  the 
mountain  sheep  (Ovis  montana),  sometimes  alone  and  sometimes  in  small  bands,  are  seen 
on  the  tops  of  these  towers,  several  hundred  feet  high,  and  entirely  inaccessible  to  the  ap 
proach  of  man.  Here  they  remain  in  security,  rolling  their  large  horns  from  side  to  side, 
and  casting  suspicious  glances  at  the  traveller  below.  It  is  somewhat  strange  that  this 
animal  should  prefer  the  most  rugged  and  inaccessible  places  where  scarcely  a  spear  of 
grass  is  seen,  and  no  shrubs  but  here  and  there  a  solitary  bunch  of  stinted  sage.  A  few 
small  grassy  spots,  like  oases,  are  found  in  this  region  low  down  at  the  base  of  these  lofty 
ridges  and  towers,  to  which  the  mountain  sheep  descend  early  in  the  morning  to  feed. 
Although  the  absence  of  vegetation  in  their  favorite  places  of  resort  would  induce  the 
belief  that  they  fared  badly,  yet  when  killed  they  are  invariably  fat,  and  the  meat  is  su 
perior  even  to  that  of  our  domestic  sheep.  The  Indians  prize  it  next  to  the  meat  of  the 
buffalo.  The  road  from  Fort  Pierre  across  the  country  to  Fort  Laramie  runs  directly 
through  this  region,  and  is  the  only  road  that  can  be  travelled  with  safety  with  carts  or 
wagons.  In  the  spring  of  1855,  the  writer  passed  up  the  valley  of  White  Itiver  with 
carts,  but  scarcely  a  day  passed  that  they  were  not  upset,  and  their  contents  more  or  less 
injured.  Water  is  very  scarce,  though  a  few  springs  and  small  streams  occur,  and  these 
are  of  great  importance  to  the  Indian  as  he  winds  his  devious  way  through  this  region. 
But  the  objects  of  the  greatest  interest  to  the  scientific  man,  and  curiosity  to  the  Indian 
and  voyageur,  are  the  organic  remains  which  abound  here.  They  consist  for  the  most 


INDIAN    TRIBES  OP   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  367 

part  of  the  remains  of  vertebrata,  which  have  been  described  by  Prof.  Joseph  Leidy  in  the 
Proceedings  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadelphia.  They  all  belong  to  ex 
tinct  species,  representing  with  a  good  degree  of  completeness  the  mammalian  Fauna  of  a 
district.  All  the  remains  of  Turtles  appear  to  belong  to  a  single  species,  but  the  indivi 
duals  are  very  numerous  and  of  large  size,  some  of  which  were  estimated  to  weigh  from  five 
hundred  to  one  thousand  pounds.  The  materials  of  which  the  rocks  are  composed  are  light- 
colored  clay,  grits,  and  marls,  more  or  less  indurated,  and  worn  into  these  fantastic  shapes 
by  atmospheric  agencies.  The  presence  of  land  and  fresh-water  shells,  and  the  absence  of  all 
indications  of  marine  origin,  show  this  region  to  have  been  a  vast  inland  lake  some  time 
during  the  Miocene  Tertiary  period.  For  some  distance  up  the  White  River  Valley  from 
its  mouth,  the  country  is  very  fine,  and  clothed  with  an  excellent  growth  of  vegetation, 
but  towards  its  source  for  two  or  three  days'  march  the  sandy  desert  prevails,  and  travelling 
is  very  difficult.  Passing  across  the  country  to  the  Niobrara,  toward  the  Platte,  the  prairie 
assumes  its  usual  character,  and  travelling  is  much  better ;  and  though  much  of  that  region 
is  occupied  by  patches  of  bad  lands  and  denuded  places,  still  the  greater  portion  is  clothed 
with  good  grass,  and  has  a  cheerful  appearance.  Along  the  Platte,  Loup  Fork,  and  por 
tions  of  the  Niobrara,  are  the  Sand  Hills,  a  large  area  of  not  less  than  twenty  thousand 
square  miles,  composed  of  loose  sand,  which  has  been  thrown  up  into  hills  and  ridges  fifty 
to  two  hundred  feet  in  height  by  the  wind.  The  material, is  derived  from  the  eroded 
portions  of  the  more  recent  Tertiary  beds  in  this  region,  and  as  the  winds  are  mostly  from 
the  west  and  northwest,  this  loose  sand  is  slowly  moving  onward  toward  the  east  and 
southeast.  Though  totally  unfit  for  agricultural  purposes,  this  tract  of  country  cannot  be 
said  to  be  destitute  of  vegetation.  In  the  valleys  and  depressions  among  the  hills  are 
many  fine  spots  of  grass,  and  sometimes  the  hills  are  covered  with  varieties  of  grass 
adapted  to  so  meagre  a  soil.  The  soap  plant,  Yucca  angustifolia,  grows  here  very  abun 
dantly,  and  sending  its  roots  deep  into  these  sandy  hills,  protects  them  from  being  dimi 
nished  by  the  winds.  The  sand  plum,  Prunus  pumila,  grows  very  abundantly  all  through 
the  Sand  Hills,  and  supplies  an  astringent  but  not  unpalatable  fruit.  On  the  head  of  Loup 
Fork,  and  between  that  stream  and  the  Niobrara  at  various  localities,  are  numerous  saline 
and  fresh-water  lakes.  The  fresh-water  lakes  contain  a  great  profusion  of  various  species 
of  water-plants  and  their  peculiar  animal  life,  while  those  that  are  impregnated  with 
saline  matter  present  the  appearance  of  desolation,  no  vegetation  growing  in  their  vicinity 
except  a  few  weeds  adapted  to  a  saline  soil.  In  former  years  these  Sand  Hills  were  a 
famous  resort  for  the  buffalo,  and  even  at  this  time  a  few  may  be  found,  but  they  have 
been  for  the  most  part  driven  away  by  the  Indians  to  other  and  less  frequented  parts. 

Among  the  many  objects  which  come  under  the  observation  of  the  traveller  in  the 
Dakota  country,  none  are  of  more  interest  than  the  numerous  villages  of  the  prairie  dog, 

VOL.  xii. — 47 


888  ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 

scattered  all  over  the  dry  and  gravelly  plains.  Sometimes  they  are  situated  upon  the  high 
terraces  along  the  rivers,  but  generally  they  are  upon  the  high,  arid  plains,  many  miles 
from  water.  A  good  deal  of  a  fabulous  character  has  been  written  in  regard  to  the  habits 
and  habitations  of  this  little  animal.  Some  have  even  observed  a  council-house  in  the 
centre  of  the  village,  which  is  supposed  to  be  laid  out  in  regular  streets,  reserving  a  public 
square  for  meetings  and  discussions  for  the  general  good  of  the  community.  Others  have 
imagined  a  particular  large  sleek  dog  to  be  the  chief,  and  contend  that  they  have  seen 
him  receive  visits  and  apparently  give  directions  to  many  of  the  citizens,  who,  after  re 
ceiving  the  same,  departed  to  give  others  an  opportunity  to  state  their  requests.  With  a 
zeal  for  knowledge,  and  a  perseverance  in  labor,  truly  creditable  in  many  respects,  attempts 
have  been  made  to  dig  to  the  bottom  of  their  subterranean  abodes,  as  well  as  to  drown 
them  out,  but  most  of  these  experiments  have  resulted  in  failure.  It  does  not  occur  to 
the  laborious  hunters  that  the  dog  can  dig  as  well  as  they,  and  that  if  their  holes  are  so 
constructed  as  not  to  be  affected  by  the  heavy  rains  that  fall  on  the  level  places,  where 
their  villages  are  always  situated,  they  would  not  be  likely  to  be  disturbed  by  a  few  pails 
of  water.  The  truth  is,  the  animal  does  not  dig  deep,  seldom  more  than  four  or  five  feet, 
but  penetrates  the  earth  in  a  horizontal  direction.  It  lays  up  no  stock  of  provisions  for 
the  winter,  but  lives  on  the  roots  of  grass,  which  it  reaches  by  digging  up  toward  the 
surface  when  the  ground  is  covered  with  snow.  This  explains  their  extensive  burrowing 
in  different  directions,  seeking  support,  and  crossing  each  other's  routes  in  many  places, 
leading  persons  to  suppose  their  different  chambers  are  thus  connected  for  convenience,  to 
associate  and  talk  over  their  national  and  domestic  affairs  during  the  long  winter  evenings. 
The  uncertainty  of  success  in  digging  them  out  is  thus  seen,  and  a  man  might  continue 
his  excavations  for  miles  without  securing  the  inhabitant.  The  dog  must  have  food,  and 
having  but  little  hair  upon  his  body  cannot  endure  the  cold  on  the  surface,  therefore  he 
finds  his  food  below  it  in  winter,  and  in  his  subterranean  travels  comes  across  others  of 
his  village  friends  engaged  in  the  same  pursuit.  In  this  manner  they  destroy  in  the 
course  of  time  all  the  vegetation  in  their  immediate  vicinity,  and  arc  obliged  to  remove 
to  some  other  locality,  and  abandon  their  holes  to  the  owls  and  rattlesnakes. 

Crossing  the  Dakota  country  through  the  middle  portion  south  and  west  of  the  Mis 
souri,  from  the  Niobrara  to  Grand  River,  the  prairies,  though  occasionally  twenty  to  fifty 
miles  in  breadth,  cannot  come  under  the  head  of  level  plains  like  the  district  on  the 
opposite  side.  The  distance  is  not  great  between  the  rivers  on  the  west  side.  Although 
their  junctions  with  the  Missouri  are  widely  separated,  yet  their  sources  all  occur  near 
each  other,  as  they  take  their  rise  in  and  near  the  Black  Hills.  In  travelling  across  this 
portion  of  the  country  in  a  transverse  direction,  a  man  on  foot  is  seldom  obliged  to  camp 
without  wood  or  water,  the  heads  of  the  valleys  or  ravines  of  one  watercourse  extending 
to  within  a  distance  from  five  to  forty  miles  of  the  tributaries  of  another. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY.  369 

Springs  and  small  groves  of  trees  frequently  occur  in  the  intervening  prairie,  and  good 
encampments  can  usually  be  found  by  any  one  familiar  with  the  geography  of  the  country 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  interior.  In  the  winter,  however,  it  happens 
that  persons  are  frozen  to  death  in  crossing  these  prairies ;  for  when  storms  occur  it  is 
often  impossible  to  travel,  the  sun  is  invisible,  and  all  objects  are  hidden  at  the  distance 
of  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  paces  by  the  particles  of  snow  that  are  whirled  through  the 
air  by  the  wind.  This  is  called  by  the  Canadian  voyageurs  jwucierie,  and  when  occurring 
in  extreme  cold  weather,  leaves  but  two  alternatives  to  the  traveller, — to  ramble  on  at 
hazard,  in  the  hope  of  keeping  himself  warm  by  walking  and  stumbling  on  timber,  or  to 
lie  down  and  let  the  snow  blow  over  him,  remaining  in  this  temporary  grave  until  the 
atmosphere  becomes  clear,  and  his  course  can  be  determined  by  the  sun  or  stars.  Both 
of  these  methods  are  often  resorted  to  by  the  Indians  and  traders  Avhen  caught  in  snow 
storms,  where  timber  is  not  at  hand,  and  sometimes  success  and  sometimes  failure  attends 
their  efforts. 

The  three  streams,  Shyenne,  Moreau,  and  Grand  Rivers,  approach  so  near  each  other 
that  there  is  no  broad  stretch  of  level  prairie  between  them.  As  we  proceed  west,  the 
surface  becomes  more  broken  and  intersected  by  valleys,  which  are  clothed  with  excellent 
grass.  In  all  the  small  streams  beaver  are  very  abundant.  Grand  River  has  the  largest 
valley,  is  best  wooded,  and  best  stocked  with  game.  Buffalo  are  found  along  this  river 
when  there  are  none  in  the  country  around.  Elk  rove  in  large  bands  through  the  wooded 
bottoms,  and  antelope  arc  abundant  upon  the  grass-covered  hills.  Many  deer,  both  white- 
and  black-tailed,  are  found  in  the  valleys  of  the  little  tributaries. 

The  fruits  and  succulent  roots  indigenous  to  this  region  are  few  but  quite  palatable,  and 
form  no  small  item  in  the  bill  of  fare  of  the  Indian  in  times  of  scarcity.  The  prairie 
turnip,  Paoralea  esculenta,  ti'-psi-na  of  the  Dakotas,  Pomme  blanche  of  the  voyageurs,  is 
found  everywhere  on  the  high  prairies.  It  may  be  eaten  raw  or  boiled,  and  is  collected 
in  large  quantities  and  dried  by  the  Indians  for  winter  use.  It  is  quite  farinaceous,  and 
when  dried  and  pulverized  makes  a  very  good  substitute  for  flour,  and  in  any  form  it  will 
sustain  life  for  several  months  without  the  assistance  of  animal  food.  This  root  is  also  the 
favorite  food  of  the  grizzly  bear. 

The  wild  artichoke,  Hdianthus  tuberotiis,  pan'-ci,  grows  in  great  abundance  along  the 
marshy  banks  of  the  rivers.  It  is  roasted  or  boiled,  but  often  eaten  uncooked. 

Dakota  peas,  Apios  tuberosa,  om-a-ni'-<?a,  grow  very  abundantly  in  the  rich  valleys  of 
the  streams.  This  plant  has  a  vinelike  top,  and  the  tuberous  roots  form  the  edible  por 
tion.  In  the  fall  of  the  year  large  quantities  of  these  tubers  are  collected  by  a  species  of 
field-mouse  for  its  winter  store,  which  is  in  turn  robbed  by  the  Indian  squaws,  who  often 
secure  half  a  bushel  from  a  single  nest.  They  are  boiled  with  dried  buffalo-meat,  and  the 


370  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

writer  can  testify  from  personal  experience  that  they  make  a  most  palatable  dish  to  the 
hungry  traveller. 

The  plum,  Primus  Americana,  kun'-ta  of  the  Dakotas,  grows  very  abundantly  along  the 
Niobrara  and  White  Eivers.  The  fruit  is  ripened  usually  in  October,  and  is  much  sought 
after  by  the  Indians. 

The  choke-cherry,  Prunus  Virginiana,  cag'-pa,  and  the  bullberry,  grain  de  Iceuf  of  the 
voyageurs,  mash-tin'-pu-ta  of  the  Dakotas,  grow  in  the  greatest  quantities  all  over  the  coun 
try.  These  fruits,  with  the  plums,  form,  in  their  season,  the  principal  food  of  the  bears  and 
wolves.  Both  of  these  fruits  are  dried,  the  former  pounded  with  the  seed  and  cooked  in 
various  ways,  sometimes  made  into  soup,  but  more  often  mixed  with  dried  buffalo-meat 
and  marrow-grease.  This  is  called  pemican  among  the  voyageurs,  and  is  very  convenient 
in  travelling,  on  account  of  its  nutritious  and  concentrated  character.  The  gram  de  loeuf 
is  a  small  red  berry,  with  an  acid  taste,  and  when  dried  is  often  made  into  soup,  or  takes 
the  place  of  cherries  in  the  composition  of  pemican. 

A  few  service-berries,  Amelancliier  Canadensis,  and  here  and  there  a  patch  of  wild 
strawberries,  are  found,  but  not  in  sufficient  quantity  to  be  relied  upon  as  a  means  of  sup 
port.  The  Indians  are  very  fond  of  fruit  of  any  kind,  and  seem  to  prefer  that  grown  and 
preserved  in  their  own  country  to  the  dried  fruits  introduced  from  the  States  by  the 
traders.  It  is  impossible,  except  from  actual  observation,  to  form  an  idea  of  the  immense  " 
quantities  of  cherries  and  other  kinds  of  fruit  eaten  by  them  in  their  season,  and  these, 
with  certain  edible  roots,  constitute  a  most  important  resource  to  a  people  dependent  upon 
the  chase  for  their  subsistence.  They  can  be  easily  preserved,  packed,  and  conveyed  from 
point  to  point,  and  they  are  of  special  service  to  their  children  when  meat  is  not  to  be  ob 
tained.  The  fruits  of  the  wild  rose,  which  are  very  plenty  and  remain  on  the  bush  during 
the  winter,  are  eaten  both  raw  and  boiled,  but  are  quite  indigestible,  as  are  also  the  red 
thorn-apples,  called  tas'-pan  by  the  Dakotas. 

Some  of  the  dishes  prepared  by  the  Indians  in  the  yet  undeveloped  condition  of  their 
culinary  science  are  not  enticing  even  to  the  eye  of  the  hungry  traveller,  and  are  by  no 
means  adapted  to  delicate  stomachs  or  fastidious  palates.  In  this  class  may  be  placed  a 
favorite  dish  of  theirs,  made  of  blood  boiled  with  brains,  rosebuds,*  and  the  scrapings  of 
rawhide,  until  the  whole  assumes  the  consistency  of  warm  glue.  Pounded  cherries  boiled 
with  meat,  sugar,  and  grease,  are  esteemed  a  rare  dainty,  and  are  eaten  with  great  relish. 
The  prairie  turnip  boiled  with  the  dried  stomach  of  the  buffalo,  or  the  Dakota  peas  ab 
stracted  from  a  mouse's  nest  and  cooked  with  dried  beaver's  tail  or  a  fat  dog,  arc  dishes 
much  admired  and  regarded  fit  to  set  before  soldiers,  chiefs,  and  distinguished  visitors. 

A  great  variety  of  roots,  leaves,  barks,  and  plants  are  used  by  these  Indians,  in  common 

*  The  seed-vessels  of  the  Eosc,  which  remain  on  the  bushes  during  the  winter,  and  often    supply  a  scanty  nou 
rishment  to  the  famishing  voyageur,  are  called  by  the  Indians  and  traders  "  rose-buds." 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  371 

4 

with  other  nations  on  the  Upper  Missouri,  for  medical  purposes,  the  principal  of  which, 
together  with  their  manner  of  application,  will  be  alluded  to  elsewhere. 

The  animals  inhabiting  the  Dakota  country,  and  hunted  more  or  less  by  them  for  cloth 
ing,  food,  or  for  the  purposes  of  barter,  are  buffalo,  elk,  black-  and  white-tailed  deer,  big 
horn,  antelope,  wolves  of  several  kinds,  red  and  gray  foxes,  a  few  beaver  and  otter,  grizzly 
bear,  badger,  skunk,  porcupine,  rabbits,  muskrats,  and  a  few  panthers  in  the  mountainous 
parts.  Of  all  those  just  mentioned  the  buffalo  is  most  numerous  and  most  necessary  to 

• 

their  support.  Every  part  of  this  animal  is  eaten  by  the  Indians  except  the  horns,  hoofs, 
and  hair,  even  the  skin  being  made  to  sustain  life  in  times  of  great  scarcity.  The  skin  is 
used  to  make  their  lodges  and  clothes,  the  sinews  for  bowstrings,  the  horns  to  contain 
powder,  and  the  bones  are  wrought  into  various  domestic  implements,  or  pounded  up  and 
boiled  to  extract  the  fatty  matter.  In  the  proper  season,  from  the  beginning  of  October 
until  the  1st  of  March,  the  skins  are  dressed  with  the  hair  remaining  on  them,  and  are 
either  worn  by  themselves  or  exchanged  with  the  traders. 

In  the  year  1833,  that  part  of  the  Dakota  nation  residing  on  the  Missouri  and  its 
tributaries,  and  trading  there,  was  divided  as  follows : 

Se-cang'-6os,  Brulees,  Burnt-Thighs,  500  lodges. 

O-ga-la'-las,  300      " 


a 
ft 


Min-ne-kaij'-zu,  those  who  plant  by  the  water,'  260 

Si-ha-sa'-pas,  Blackfeet-Dakotas,  220 

Wo-he-nom'-pa,  Two-Kettle-Dakotas,  100 

Hunk'-pa-pas,  150 


o 

H 

I-ta'-zip-co,  Sansarcs,  Without-Bows,  100      " 

Lowcr-Yanctons,  300  " 

Pa-bak'-sa,  TCte-Coupees,  Cut-Heads,  250  " 

Wa-ge'-ku-te,  Gens  des  Pin,  the  Pine-Band,  100  " 

Band,  name  not  obtained.  50  " 

I-sag'-tis,  30  " 

These  2360  lodges,  averaging  five  souls  to  a  lodge,  would  make  a  total  of  11,800  souls. 
The  above  estimate  may  be  relied  upon  as  correct  at  that  time.  The  nomadic  Dakotas 
have  slowly  but  steadily  increased  in  numbers  since  that  time,  and  in  1857,  Lieut. 
Warren  estimated  that  the  same  bands  mentioned  above  numbered  3000  lodges  and 
24,000  souls.  From  various  causes,  as  the  introduction  of  contagious  diseases,  and  other 
calamities,  some  of  the  bands  have  diminished  in  numbers,  while  others  have  greatly  in 
creased,  and  it  is  believed  that  at  the  present  time  the  Missouri  Dakotas  are  in  the  aggre- 

• 

gate  more  numerous  than  at  any  former  period. 

These  bands  at  that  time  (1833),  occupied  separate  districts,  though  they  could  if  they 
chose,  hunt  unmolested  by  each  other,  in  any  portion  of  the  common  territory.  But 
being  generally  intermarried,  and  connected  by  societies  of  dances  and  clans,  they  usually 


372  ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 

preferred  locating  at  a  distance  from  each  other,  that  their  hunts  might  be  better  carried 
on,  and  their  domestic  arrangements  and  tribal  government  conducted  by  the  chiefs  and 
soldiers  appointed  to  these  positions  by  the  general  consent  of  each  band.  When  two 
camps  are  joined,  each  having  its  own  head,  opinions  and  interests  clash,  quarrels  follow, 
and  separation,  with  angry  feelings  toward  each  other  is  the  result,  often  extending  to  the 
stealing  of  each  other's  horses.  But  by  each  band  confining  its  limiting  operations  as 
nearly  as  practicable  to  a  certain  tract  of  country,  accustomed  to  the  rule  of  its  own  chief, 

• 

and  its  own  domestic  associations,  differences  that  arise  when  several  bands  who  are  com 
parative  strangers  are  thrown  together,  arc  prevented.  Partly  with  this  view,  and  partly 
to  occupy  their  entire  country  where  game  is  found,  but  mainly  on  account  of  the  hunting 
advantages,  the  following  sections  were  agreed  upon  as  the  residence  of  the  different  bands 
mentioned,  which  arrangement  has  been  continued,  with  little  deviation,  up  to  the  present 
time. 

The  portion  of  the  country  inhabited  by  the  Si-c'aij'-dos,  or  Burnt  Thighs,  is  on  the 
head  waters  of  the  White  and  Niobrara  Rivers,  extending  down  these  rivers  about  half 
their  length.  The  Teton  lliver  formed  the  northern  limit.  For  many  years,  this  band 
was  headed  by  a  chief  named  Ma-ka'-to-za'-za,  or  the  Clear  Blue  Earth,  who  governed 
them  wisely  and  well.  He  was  very  friendly  to  the  white  man,  and  few  Indians  have 
had  the  power,  dignity,  and  influence  which  he  held  over  this  band.  Though  some  have 
been  more  feared,  others  more  brave,  yet  by  his  constant  and  uniformly  good  management 
and  just  government,  he  kept  his  people  in  order,  regulated  their  hunts,  and  usually 
avoided  placing  them  in  the  starving  situations  incident  to  other  bands,  led  by  less  judi 
cious  rulers.  They  Avere  good  hunters,  usually  well  clothed  and  supplied  with  meat,  had 
comfortable  lodges,  and  a  large  number  of  horses.  They  varied  their  occupations  by 
hunting  buffalo,  catching  wild  horses,  and  making  war  expeditions  against  the  Arikaras, 
then  stationed  on  the  Platte,  or  the  Pawnees,  lower  down  on  that  river.  Every  summer, 
excursions  were  made  by  the  young  men  into  the  Platte  and  Arkansas  country,  in  quest 
of  wild  horses,  which  abounded  there  at  that  time  in  large  numbers.  Their  mode  of 
catching  them  was  by  surrounding  them,  and  running  them  down  on  their  own  horses. 
Taking  their  positions  at  different  points,  they  pursued  them  from  one  to  the  other,  until 
they  became  so  fatigued  as  to  be  lassoed,  after  which  they  were  thrown  down,  bridled, 
and  packed  or  rode  by  these  fearless  cavaliers.  Often  forty  to  sixty  of  these  wild  horses 
were  brought  home  as  the  results  of  a  single  expedition. 

In  their  wars  with  the  Pawnees  and  Arikaras,  the  Brulees  were  usually  victorious,  and 
seldom  a  -summer  passed  that  they  did  not  secure  many  of  the  scalps  of  their  enemies. 
Indeed,  the  periods  of  time  at  all  seasons  were  short  that  the  scalp-dance  was  not  going 
on,  and  the  monotonous  war-song  heard  through  the  village,  accompanied  by  the  lamen 
tations  of  the  friends  of  those  who  had  fallen  in  battle.  Their  foes  did  not  remain  idle. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  373 

Every  now  and  then  some  of  the  Bailees'  horses  would  be  stolen,  or  some  lone  wanderer 
outside  the  camp  killed.  In  1835,  some  Pawnees  and  Arikaras  stole  forty  or  fifty  of  the 
Brulees'  horses  from  their  camp  on  the  Niobrara,  when  the  latter  pursued  and  defeated  them 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  village.  Twenty-two  of  their  enemies  were  killed,  their 
horses  recovered,  and  the  successful  warriors  returned  bringing  the  heads,  hands,  feet,  and 
other  parts  of  the  enemies'  bodies  into  camp.  The  hands  and  feet  were  thrust  on  sticks 
and  paraded  through  the  village  by  old  women,  and  the  scalpless  heads  were  dragged  about 
with  cords,  followed  by  small  boys  shooting  them  with  arrows  and  powder,  and  pelting 
them  with  stones,  encouraged  by  the  old  women,  who  followed  after  heaping  abuse  upon 
the  helpless  and  mangled  remains  of  their  once  dreaded  enemies. 

One  of  the  amusements  of  this  band  is  the  driving  of  antelope  over  precipices  into  pens 
made  for  the  purpose,  thus  inclosing  and  destroying  several  hundred  at  a  time.  The 
broken  country  about  the  source  of  White  River  is  very  favorable  for  this  object.  The 
animals  being  surrounded  by  several  hundred  people  are  driven  through  some  gap  in  the 
hill,  beyond  which  is  a  perpendicular  descent  of  many  feet,  inclosed  around  the  base  with 
logs  and  brush,  raised  to  a  sufficient  height  to  prevent  them  from  jumping  over.  The 
antelope  once  through  the  gap  or  pass,  cannot  recede,  and  the  pressure  of  those  from 
behind  forces  those  in  front  over  the  descent,  the  rear  being  followed  up  quickly  by  the 
pursuers. 

Since  the  emigrants  to  California  and  Oregon  have  passed  through  the  Dakota  country, 
the  Brulees  have  suffered  more  from  diseases  thus  introduced  than  any  other  division  of 
these  Indians,  being  located  nearest  to  the  trail.  Small-pox,  cholera,  measles,  &c.,  have 
year  after  year  thinned  their  ranks,  so  that  comparatively  few  of  this  once  numerous  band 
remain,  and  these  are  hostile  towards  the  whites,  to  whom  the  cause  of  their  destruction 
is  attributed.  Their  tics  of  relationship  have  been  severed  by  the  deaths  of  their  friends, 
their  head  men  have  fallen  victims,  their  former  good  order  and  flourishing  condition  have 
been  deranged ;  and  thus  they  have  acquired  a  sullen  arid  permanent  hatred  towards  .the 
white  man.  They  now  comprise  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  lodges,  scattered  through  this 
district  in  small  divisions,  the  inmates  poorly  clothed,  with  very  little  game  and  but  few 
horses.  They  have  paid  some  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  and  with  proper  encou 
ragement  might  be  made  an  agricultural  people.  The  game  has  left  their  country,  and  with 
it  the  means  of  obtaining  supplies  from  the  traders,  and  now  they  are  mainly  dependent  upon 
the  small  amount  of  annuities  or  presents  given  them  by  the  United  States  Government. 

The  Ogala'las  occupy  that  portion  of  the  Dakota  country  from  Fort  Laramie  on  the 
Platte,  extending  northeast,  including  the  Black  Hills,  the  sources  of  the  Teton  River, 
and  reaching  as  low  down  as  the  fork  of  the  Shyenne.  They  sometimes  range  as  far  west 
as  the  head  of  Grand  River.  This  region,  until  a  recent  period,  was  well  stocked  with 


374  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND    PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

buffalo,  and  even  at  this  time  elk,  antelope,  deer,  and  mountain  sheep  are  found  in  suffi 
cient  numbers  to  afford  the  Indians  a  moderate  support.  A  portion  of  this  band  have 
obtained  rifles,  and  are  expert  in  their  use,  and  the  consequence  is  that  they  are  better 
clothed  and  less  subject  to  extremes  of  want  than  some  of  their  neighbors.  They  arc 
remarkable  for  having  the  most  handsome  women  in  the  nation,  who  are  neat  and  tidy  in 
their  dress  and  modest  in  their  deportment. 

The  Mi-nc-kaij'-zus  are  usually  found  from  Cherry  Creek  on  the  Shyenne  to  Slender  Butte 
on  Grand  River,  in  which  section  the  buffalo,  until  within  a  few  years,  were  very  abun 
dant.  This  band,  though  peaceable  when  ruled  by  good  chiefs,  has  always  been  very 
wild  and  independent,  seldom  visiting  the  trading-posts  either  on  the  Platte  or  on  the 
Missouri,  and  having  no  intercourse  with  white  men,  except  with  a  few  traders  during  the 
winter  season. 

The  Hank'-pa-pas,  Si'-ha-sa'-pas,  I-ta'-zip-cos,  occupy  nearly  the  same  district,  and  are  so  often 
encamped  near  each  other,  and  otherwise  so  connected  in  their  operations,  as  scarcely  to 
admit  of  being  treated  of  separately.  That  part  of  the  country  under  their  control  lies 
along  the  Moreauj  Cannon-ball,  Heart,  and  Grand  Rivers,  seldom  extending  very  high  up 
on  Grand  lliver,  but  of  later  years  reaching  to  the  Little  Missouri.  Although  the  bands 
just  mentioned  are  often  stationed  near  each  other,  they  are  sometimes  found  several 
days'  journey  apart,  and  each  is  headed  by  its  own  chief.  Of  the  leading  men,  the  Little 
Bear  Chief  is  the  most  prominent.  He  wields  great  influence  over  all  the  bands,  and 
from  his  youth  up  he  has  manifested  an  intense  hatred  toward  the  white  man. 

The  Two-Kettle  band,  Wo-he-nom'-pa,  confine  themselves  to  the  Shyenne  and  Moreaii 
Rivers,  seldom  going  higher  on  the  former  river  than  the  mouth  of  Cherry  Creek,  but 
passing  up  and  down  the  Shyenne,  Moreau,  and  Grand  Rivers,  but  not  uniting  with  the 
bands  just  described.  The  principal  chief  of  this  small  band  is  Ma'-to-to'-pa,  or  Four  Bears, 
a  man  of  moderate  capacity,  but  exercising  a  good  influence  on  his  people.  They  live 
entirely  in  the  plain  country,  seldom  go  to  war  in  any  direction,  are  good  hunters  and 
shrewd  in  their  dealings  with  the  traders.  Very  few  complaints  have  ever  been  made 
against  them.  They  have  observed  faithfully  the  stipulations  of  their  treaty  with  the 
United  States,  and  have  always  treated  white  men  who  came  among  them,  either  as  traders 
or  visitors,  with  respect,  but  they  are  too  few  in  numbers  to  give  direction  to  the  actions 
of  large  and  more  powerful  bands.  Neither  contagious  disease  nor  war  seems  to  have 
reduced  their  numbers,  and  it  is  believed  that  they  have  remained  nearly  stationary  in 
that  respect  for  the  last  twenty-five  years.  Many  portions  of  their  country  could  be  cul 
tivated  with  success,  and  with  their  tractable  disposition  they  could  be  made  an  agricul 
tural  people. 

The  Cut-Heads  and  Pine  Indians,  all  come  under  the  head  of  Yanctonais.     In  1833 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLET. 


375 


the  whole  of  this  division  of  the  Dakota  nation  was  governed  by  the  great  chief  Wa'nata, 
but  after  his  death  in  1840  it  became  separated  into  three  distinct  bands,  each  having  its 
own  rulers.  All  of  them,  however,  range  and  hunt  on  the  east  side  of  the  Missouri,  and 
very  rarely  are  found  beyond  its  western  shores.  They  range  in  their  hunting  excursions 
from  Apple  lliver  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Shyenne,  north  to  the  neighborhood 
of  the  Lac  du  Diablc,  and  east  along  the  Coteau  de  Prairie,  but  never  going  as  low  down 
as  the  source  of  James  lliver.  Most  of  this  district,  though  formerly  the  favorite  range 
of  the  buffalo,  is  now  nearly  abandoned  by  them,  and  at  the  present  time  these  animals 
are  found  only  near  the  northern  and  western  boundaries.  In  1830,  the  Yanctonais,  and 
a  few  Indians  from  other  bands,  being  encamped  opposite  Fort  Pierre,  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Missouri,  killed  fifteen  hundred  buffalo  at  a  single  surround.  This  is  the  largest 
number  that  was  ever  known  by  the  traders  to  be  destroyed  at  any  one  time.  The  fact 
was  ascertained  by  the  trader  securing  the  tongues  as  the  Indians  returned  from  the  hunt. 
Since  this  period  the  buffalo  have  gradually  retired  from  the  eastern  districts,  moving 
westward  and  northwest,  and  thus  compelling  the  Indians  to  follow.  From  1833  to  1844 
they  were  found  in  considerable  numbers  on  the  head  branches  of  the  Little  Shyenne,  and 
east  in  the  direction  of  the  Coteau  de  Prairie,  but  since  that  time  few  are  seen  so  low 
down,  which  accounts  for  these  Indians  occupying  their  western  limits,  and  hunting  north 
as  far  as  Pembina  lliver.  In  their  travels  during  the  fall  they  not  unfrequently  come  into 
collision  with  the  half-breeds  from  the  Red  lliver  of  the  North,  who  sometimes  hunt 
buffalo  in  this  country  in  parties  of  from  three  to  six  hundred  men,  bringing  with  them  a 
thousand  carts  or  more  to  transport  the  meat  and  skins  to  their  settlement.  Several 
skirmishes  have  occurred,  in  most  of  which  the  half-breeds  have  been  the  victors,  and  they 
are  known  to  be  better  warriors  than  the  Indians.  The  latter,  not  gaining  much  in 
actual  contests,  retaliate  by  stealing  the  horses  of  the  former  at  their  village  near  Pembina 
in  the  absence  of  the  men  on  their  hunts.  Of  late  years  their  visits  in  that  direction  have 
been  more  frequent  and  bold,  several  residents  have  been  killed  in  the  village,  and  -many 
horses  stolen.  This  predatory  warfare  becoming  very  serious  and  annoying,  the  half- 
breeds  applied  a  few  years  ago  to  the  United  States  Government  for  permission  to  make 
war  on  the  Indians  on  a  large  scale.  They  claimed  that  they  would  be  compelled  to  make 
war  or  remove  to  their  original  homes  in  the  English  possessions. 

NAMES  OP   DAKOTA    BANDS,    WITH   TUEIR  PRINCIPAL   CHIEFS. 

DAKOTA    BANDS.  PRINCIPAL    CHIEFS. 


imn-i-sha',*  Hod  water  band, 
ta-shunk-'c-o-ta,f  Plenty  of  horses, 
wak-po'-ki-an,  Flying  river  band, 


c7in-te-ni'-tku,  Foolish  Heart, 
kan-ge-ni-a'-ke,  Crow  Feather, 
he-wa-zin'-c'a,  One  Horn. 


*  This  band  numbers  eighty  lodges. 
VOL.  xii. — 48 


f  Seventy-five  lodges. 


376 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


DAKOTA    BANDS. 

i-na-ha'-o-wln,  Stone  car-ring  band, 
wa-lia-le'-zo-wen,  Striped  snake  ear-ring  band, 
shunk'-a-yu-tesh'-ni,  Hand  that  eat  no  dogs, 
min-i-kan'-zu,  Band  that  plants  near  the  river, 
wak-to-ni'-la,  The  band  that  kill  no  people, 
o-he-nom'-pa,  Two  kettle  band, 
pa-ha-hi'-a,  Those  who  camp  at  the  end, 
min-i-sha',  Red  water  (an  Oglala  band), 
pe-hi'-pte-fi-la,  Short  hair  band, 
og-la'-la  (meaning  not  known), 
si-dan'-gu,  Brulees,  Burnt  thighs, 
watu-bi-li'-ne-da,  Orphan  band, 
wa-6i'-om-pa,  The  band  that  roasts  meat, 
si-ca'-wi-pi,  Band  with  poor  guns  or  bows, 
a-a'-ko-za,  Big  ankle  band, 
wa-za'-za,  Band  rubbed  out, 
hunk'-pa-pa  (meaning  unknown), 
ta-lo'-na-pi,  Fresh  meat  necklace  band, 
cV-lia-na-ka',*  Half-centre  cloth  band, 
6i-o-ho'-pa,  Sleeping  kettle  band, 
6an-ho-ham'-pa,  Band  with  bad  backs, 
si-ha'-sa-pa,  Blackfeet, 
6i-hu'-pa,  Jawbone  band, 
pa-a'-bi-a,  Those  who  camp  at  the  end, 


PRINCIPAL    CHIEFS. 

wi-a-ka'-o-wln,  Feather  Ear-ring. 

ma-ka-ci'-ka,  Little  Ground. 

caij-te'-wa-ni'-ce,  No  Heart. 

o-pa'-no-to-no'-ma-ni',  The  Elk  that  whistles  running. 

ta-tan'-ka-6i-ka'-la,  Little  Bull. 

mi-wa-ta'-ne-harj'-ska,  Long  Mandan. 

wa-min'-i-uii-du'-za,  Whirlwind. 

wam'-bi-li-shi'-a-na,  The  Eagle  that  sails. 

ho-po'-ma-za,  Iron  Arm. 

ta-shunk'-a-wlt'-ku,  Foolish  Horse. 

wa-ki'-a-ci-la,  Little  Thunder. 

cV-wi-wam'-bi-li-shi,  Eagle's  Body. 

wi-sa'-pa,  Black  Moon. 

ki-u-kam'-pi,  He  who  gives  praise. 

a-ha'-ka-harj-ska,  Long  Elk. 

wak-pe'-sha,  Red  Leaf. 

ma-to'-ci-uk-sa,  Bear  Rib. 

shi'-o-tarj'-ka,  Large  Pheasant. 

shi'-o-ci-ka'-la,  Little  Pheasant. 

ma-to'-ci-ka'-la,  Little  Bear. 

ma-to'-wa-na'-l'ie,  Bear's  Spirit. 

wa-wa-caij'-ka-to,  The  Blue  Shield. 

si-6o'-la,  Bear's  Foot. 

rna-to-wa-ku'-a,  The  man  who  runs  the  bear. 


NAMES    OF   MONTHS   OR   MOONS,    RIVERS,    ANIMALS,    ETC. 

1st  moon,  ma-ga-ga'-li-wi,  when  the  geese  come  up  8th  moon,  dan-wak-pe-inl'i'-pa,  when  the  leaves   fall, 

from  the  south,  March.  October. 

2d  moon,  pe-^zi'-to-i-wam'-pi-wik,  when  the  grass  springs  9th  moon,  wik-to-ka-i-ca'-mi-na,  when  the  first  snow 

up,  April.  falls,  November. 

3d  moon,  shunk-a-ma-ni-tu-c'in'-c'a-ton-wik,  when  the  10th   moon,  pte-yu'-kta-ha-shi'-na-wash'-te,  when    the 

wolves  have  their  young,  May.  robes  are  good,  December. 

4th  moon,  pte-ki-u'-lia-wik,  the   rutting  time  of  the  llth    moon,    pte-i-cu-la-wash-tc-yu-ta-wik,    the    time 

buffalo,  June.  when  the  young  buffalo  (in  utero)  are  good    to 

5th  moon,  cam'-pa-sha-wik,  when  the  cherries  are  red,  eat,  January. 

July.  12th    moon,    shunk-a-ma'-ni-tu-ga-nash'-ki-wik,    when 
6th  moon,  eam'-pa-sa'-pa-wik,  black  cherry  moon,  when  the  wolves  go  mad,  February. 

the  cherries  are  ripe,  August.  we'-tu,  spring,  three  moons,  coming  in  of  spring. 

7th  moon,  <5an-wak'-pe-hi'-wik,  when  the  leaves  be-  bel-o-ke'-tu,  fair  weather,  coming  of  summer. 

come  yellow,  September.  ptarj'-e-tu,  coming  in  of  autumn,  three  fall  months. 

wa-ni'-i-tu,  coming  in  of  winter,  three  winter  months. 


*  Cloth  cut  from  corner  to  corner, — tri-cornered  clothing. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


377 


roa-ka-si'-ca,  Mauvaiscs  Terres,  or  Bad  Lands  of  White 

River, 
wi-wi'-la-wak'-pa-la,  Spring  Creek  or  Bear  Creek,  in  the 

Bad  Lands. 

pe-zi-lio'-ta,  Sage  Creek,  or  Gray  Grass  Creek. 
c"an'-wi-ta,  Wood  Island  Creek, 
wak-pa-si-ea-o-inli-pa',  Pinaus  Spring,  source  of  Tcton 

River, 
ho-ki-ha'-lo-ka,    hole    through    the    hill,    or    Opening 

Creek,  a  branch  of  the  Shyenne. 
i-rtih'-a-pa-ha',  Whetstone  Hills,  where  the  Indians 

procure  sandstone  for  whetstones, 
pa-ha'-sa-pa,  Black  Hills. 
wag-a-cai/-han-ska,  Long  Cottonwood  Creek. 
pi-spi-za-o-ti-tan'-ka,  Big  Prairie  Dog  Village  Creek, 
wi-da-ag-e-wa-ka'-pi,  where   they  place  the    dead   on 

scaffolds,  Shepoi  Creek, 
shunk'-a-kaij-pa'-o-ta,  where    the  Indians   lost    many 

horses,  the  Great  Hole, 
doli-wag'-zi-ca,  Willow  Creek, 
wak-pa-wash'-te,  Good  River,  Great  Shyenne. 
kan-ta-o'-ta,  a  plenty  of  plums,  Plum  Creek, 
cam'-pa,  the  cherry,  Cherry  Creek, 
o-ki'-za-te,  forks  of  any  river, 
hi-haij-wak'-pa,  Owl  River,  Morcau  River, 
wak-pa-shi'-ca,  Teton,  Little  Missouri,  Bad  River, 
ma-ka-i-zi'-ta,  Smoking  Earth  River, 
ta-to'-ka-la'-o-ti,  where  there  are  plenty  of  antelopes, 

Antelope  Creek, 
tan-te-sha',  Cedar  Creek, 
pa-ha'-wa-kan,  Medicine  Hill  Creek, 
mi-la-han-ska',  Long  Knife,  or  American  Creek, 
pa-la-ni-ta'-wa,  where  the  Rees  had  their  village,  Ree 

River,  Grand  River. 

i-an'-wa-ka-ha'-pi,  the  river  that  makes  rocks,  Cannon- 
ball  River. 


sha-he'-e-la-wo'-zu,  the  river  where  the  Shycnnes  planted 

corn,  Little  Shyenne. 
min-e'-tan-ka,  Big  River,  L'eau  qui  Court,  running 

water, 
o-pa-wo'-zu,  where  the  Indians  make  cornfields,  Ponka 

River. 
ma'-to-pa'-ha,  Bear  Butte. 

mash-tin'-ska,  white  rabbit,  in  winter  pilage.  Lepus 
campeslris. 

he-tonk'-tan-ka,  a  wood  rat.     Neotoma. 

wam-bi-li',  the  bird  that  sails,  golden  or  war-eagle. 

pa-ca-shi'-wa-ta,  short  bill.     Junco  liyemalis. 

wa-zi-zit'-ka-la,  yellowstone  bird.  Leucosticte  tepliro- 
cotis.  A  bird  that  lives  among  the  yellow  ferru 
ginous  sandstones. 

mash-tin'-ca-la,  sage  rabbit.     Lepits  arlemisia. 

shi'-o,  birds  that  eat  rose-buds. 

shi-o'-6i-ka'-la,  sharp-tailed  grouse. 

wa-zi'-shi-o,  yellow  wood  bird,  pine  pheasant. 

iink-ci'-ki-da,  a  magpie. 

i-ha'-mi-ko-ti-la,  the  owl  that  lives  with  the  prairie  dogs. 

zo'-a-to-pi,  poor-will,  so  named  from  its  note. 

can'-ska-sa-pa,  blackbird. 

hi-hu',  the  hooting  owl,  named  from  its  note. 

pa'-pe-sto-la,  "sharp-nose,"  fish-duck. 

zit-ka'-to,  bluebird,  Maximilian's  jay. 

ho-pa-wa'-to-to,  blue  wings,  blue-winged  teal. 

can-o-hu'-ya,  "wood-color,"  cheewink. 

pi-spi'-za,  the  animal  that  calls  to  people  "come  here," 
prairie  do'g. 

pa-hh/,  derives  its  name  from  its  quills,  porcupine. 

psi-psi-dai'-la,  jumping  mouse.     Hesperomys. 

het-ka'-la.      Spermophilus  quadrivitlatus. 

sink-po'-la,  flat-foot,  muskrat. 

zi-cY,  "yellow-wood,"  a  pine  squirrel. 


alive,  ni.  \ 

all,  si-to'-mi-ni. 
arm,  ish'-to. 
arrow,  wa-hink'-pi. 
autumn,  pta'-c-tu. 
axe,  ma-zun'-spe. 


VOCABULARY  OF  THE  DAKOTA  LANGUAGE. 

black,  sa'-pa. 
blue,  to. 
body,  taij'-can. 
bone,  hu'-hu. 
bow,  i-ta'-zi-pa. 


bad,  shi'-6a;  si'-ca. 
bear,  ma'-to. 
beard,  pu-te'-hi. 
beaver,  <?a'-pa. 
belly,  te'-zi. 


bird,  zit-ka'-la. 


bread,  a-hu'-e-a-pa,  flour. 


378 


ON   TIIE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


brother,  ci'-e. 
buffalo,  pte. 

canoe,  wa'-ta. 

chief,  i-taij'-ca. 

cold,  us'-ni. 

copper,  ma-za'-sha,  red  iron. 

dance,  wa-ci',  to  dance, 
daughter  (my),  mi-cunk'-she. 
dead,  ta. 
deer,  tali'-6a. 
dog,  shunk'-a. 
drink,  at'-lia,  to  drink, 
duck,  ma-ga-si'-6a. 

earth,  ma'-ka. 
eat,  yu'-ta. 
eye,  is'-te. 

face,  i'-te. 
father,  at'-e. 
finger,  shash'-te. 
fire,  pe'-ta. 
foot,  i'-ha. 
forehead,  na-su'-na. 
fox  (red),  shnnk-u'-la. 
friend,  ko'-la. 

good,  wash'-te. 
grass,  pe'-zi. 
great,  tag'-ka. 
grouse,  shi'-o. 

hail,  wa'-su. 

hair,  pe'-hi. 

hand,  na'-pe. 

he,  i'-ye. 

head,  pa. 

heart,  caij'-te. 

hill,  pa-ha'. 

husband  (my),  mi-hing'-a-na. 

I,  tni'-ye. 
ice,  ca'-ra. 


infant,  ok-shi'-ca-la. 
iron,  ma'-za. 
island,  wi'-ta. 

kettle,  ce'ra. 
kiU,  ktc'-pi,  to  kill, 
knife,  mi'-na. 

lake,  bi-le'. 

leaf,  wak'-pe. 

leg,  1m. 

lightning,  wa-ki'-an. 

lodge,  ti'-pi. 

love,  tc-wa'-ka,  to  love. 

maize,  \va-ka-me'-za. 
man  (red),  wi-<5a'-sha. 
many,  mi-6o'-ta,  much, 
meat,  cek'-pi.    . 
morning,  am'-pa. 
mother,  in'-a. 
mountain,  lia. 
mouth,  i. 

nail,  sha'-ke. 
near,  ki'-e-la. 
neck,  ta'-hu. 
night,  aij-hi'-pi. 
no,  hi'-ya. 
nose,  pa'-su. 

old,  e-ha'-na. 
pipe,  ca-nom'-pa. 

rain,  ma-ra'-zu. 
red,  lu'-ta. 
river,  wali'-pa. 

sea,  min-i-wa'-6a. 
see,  wai-a'-ka,  to  sec. 
shoe,  naui'-pa. 
sister,  tank'-e. 
sky,  mal'i-pe'-a-to. 


sleep,  is-ti'-ma,  to  sleep, 
small,  cis'-di-la. 
snow,  wa. 
soldier,  a-ki'-ci-ta. 
son  (my),  mi-cink'-shi. 
speak,  wo-ga  la'-ka,  to  speak- 
strong,  wa-za'-ka. 
summer,  bi-lo-ki'-tu. 

this,  le. 

thou,  ni'-ye. 

thunder,  wa-ki'-an-o-tomp. 

tobacco,  <5ar)'-li. 

to-day,  le-am-pe'-tu. 

toe,  si-hu-ka'-za. 

to-morrow,  am-pa'-ke. 

tongue,  6e'-shi. 

tooth,  hi. 

turtle,  ke'-a. 

water,  min'-i. 
white,  ska. 
who,  tu'-a. 
wife  (my),  mi-ta'-wi. 
wind,  ta'-te. 
winter,  wa-wi'-e-tu. 
wolf,  shunk-to'-ke-ca. 
woman,  wi'-a. 
wood,  6an. 

yellow,  zi. 

yes,  tosh. 

yesterday,  uk-ta'-le-ha. 

one,  wund. 
two,  nom'-pa. 
three,  ya'-mi-ni. 
four,  to'-pa. 
five,  za'-pta. 
six,  sha'-ko-pi. 
seven,  sha'-ko-wi. 
eight,  sha'-ge-lo'-ga. 
nine,  na-pci'-6n-ka. 
ten,  wik-eim'-i-ni. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  379 

CHAPTER      XV. 

V.     ASSINIBOINS. 
ETHNOGRAPHICAL   HISTORY. 

IN  regard  to  the  origin  of  the  Assiniboin  tribe,  but  little  authentic  information  can  be 
obtained  from  their  traditions,  though  many  singular  and  fabulous  tales  are  related  con 
cerning  it.  As  a  portion  of  a  people,  however,  once  inhabiting  another  district,  and  being 
incorporated  with  another  nation,  their  history  presents  a  connected  and  credible  chain 
during  the  last  century. 

The  Assiniboins  were  once  a  part  of  the  great  Dakota  nation,  residing  on  the  tributary 
streams  of  the  Mississippi,  as  the  head  of  the  Des  Moines,  St.  Peter's,  and  other  rivers. 
This  is  evident  from  the  similarity  and  almost  identity  of  the  language  spoken  by  the 
two  tribes  or  nations.  Moreover,  there  lived  a  few  years  since,  on  the  Missouri,  a  very 
old  chief,  known  to  the  traders  as  "  Le  Gros  Frangais,"  though  his  Indian  name  was 
Wali-e'-umz-a,  or  the  "  Iron  arrow-point,"  who  recollected  perfectly  well  the  time  of  their 
separation  from  the  Dakotas,  which,  according  to  his  data,  must  have  been  about  the  year 
1760.  He  stated  that  when  Lewis  and  Clarke  came  up  the  Missouri  in  1805,  his  band, 
about  sixty  lodges,  called  Les  Gens  des  RocJies,  had,  after  a  long  conflict,  made  peace  with 
those  bands  of  the  Dakotas  who  resided  on  the  Missouri,  and  that  he  saw  the  expedition 
referred  to  near  the  mouth  of  White  Earth  River.  This  was  the  first  party  of  white  men 
ever  seen  by  them  at  their  camps,  though  they  had  been  accustomed  to  deal  with  the  fur 
traders  of  the  Mississippi,  who  visited  the  interior  of  their  country  in  the  winter.  After 
their  first  separation  from  the  Dakotas,  they  moved  northward,  made  a  peace  with  the 
Crees  and  Chippeways,  and  occupied  a  portion  of  the  country  on  or  near  the  Saskatchewan 
and  Assiniboin  llivers,  in  which  district  some  two  hundred  and  fifty  or  three  hundred 
lodges  still  reside. 

Some  time  after  the  expedition  of  Lewis  and  Clarke,  or  at  least  after  the  year  1777,  the 
rest  of  the  nation,  at  that  time  numbering  about  twelve  hundred  lodges,  migrated  towards 
the  Missouri,  where  superior  advantages  for  game  and  trade  presenting  themselves,  they 
located  permanently,  and  continue  to  reside  there  to  the  present  time. 

The  principal  incident,  and  one  which  forms  an  era  in  their  history,  which  they  have 
every  reason  to  remember,  is  a  visitation  of  the  small-pox  in  1776  or  1777,  when  they 
occupied  the  British  territory.  Even  yet  there  are  two  or  three  Indians  living  (1855) 
who  are  marked  by  the  disease  of  that  period,  which  greatly  thinned  their  numbers, 
though  owing  to  their  being  distributed  over  a  large  district,  some  bands  escaped  entirely. 
However,  the  small-pox  does  not  appear  to  have  been  as  destructive  to  them  at  this  period 
as  it  was  on  the  Upper  Missouri  in  1838,  which  will  be  noticed  hereafter. 


380  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

Before  proceeding  further  with  their  history  as  obtained  from  the  old  men  of  the  tribe, 
let  us  present  a  summary  of  the  notices  of  different  travellers  as  far  back  as  we  have  the 
means  of  ascertaining.  Inasmuch  as  an  extended  history  of  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  Mis 
souri  Valley  is  in  process  of  preparation,  only  the  more  important  and  standard  works  of 
travel  will  be  referred  to  in  this  memoir. 

Umfreville  calls  these  Indians  Assinnee-Poetuc,  and  says  that  they  obtained  their  name 
from  the  Crees,  which  signifies  in  their  language  Stone  Indians.  He  also  states  that  they 
are  a  "  detached  tribe  from  the  Naudawissees  of  the  Mississippi,  who  anciently  separated 
from  the  general  stock  on  account  of  some  intestine  commotion."  He  gives  a  vocabulary 
of  forty-four  words  of  the  Assiniboin  language,  and,  so  far  as  I  can  ascertain,  the  first 
ever  published.  Henry  speaks  of  them  as  Osinipoillcs-  or  Assiniboins,  who  at  that  time 
lived  in  the  vicinity  of  and  traded  at  Fort  de  Prairie.  He  says  that  they  are  the  "  Issati 
of  older  travellers,  and  have  sometimes  been  called  Weepers."  He  gives  much  interesting 
information  in  regard  to  this  tribe,  and  suggests  that  their  language  connects  them  with 
the  Nadouwesis.  La  Hontan  merely  alludes  to  them  as  "  Nadouessis  or  Scioux."  Gal- 
latin,  who  seems  to  have  had  access  to  works  beyond  my  reach  at  this  time,  thus  sums  up 
their  ancient  history :  "  The  Assiniboins  (Stone  Indians)  are  a  Dakota  tribe,  separated 
from  the  rest  of  the  nation,  and  on  that  account  called  Ho-lia,  or  Eebels,  by  the  other 
Sioux.  They  are  said  originally  to  have  formed  a  part  of  the  Yanktons,  but  we  are  not 
acquainted  with  their  real  name.  Their  separation  must  have  taken  place  at  an  earlier 
date  than  has  been  presumed  by  late  writers.  Father  Marquette,  writing  in  the  year 
1669,  from  the  Chagouadmigong  Mission,  after  having  mentioned  the  Nadouessies  as  a 
formidable  nation,  speaking  a  language  altogether  different  from  the  Algonkin  and  the 
Huron,  adds,  that  the  Assiniponiels  have  almost  the  same  language  as  the  Nadouessies, 
and  live  about  fifteen  days'  journey  from  the  Mission  on  a  lake,  which,  from  a  map 
annexed  to  that  volume  of  the  Relations,  must  have  been  Lake  Winnipek." 

Carver  (1796)  alludes  to  the  "  Assinepoils"  as  having  revolted  from  the  "Naudowessie 
nation,"  and  formed  a  league  with  the  "  Killistinoes,"  keeping  up  a  continual  warfare,  how 
ever,  with  other  neighboring  tribes.  Mackenzie  (1801)  also  alludes  to  the  Assiniboins  as 
a  detached  tribe  of  the  "  Nadowasis,"  and  residing  upon  the  river  which  bears  their  name. 

A  number  of  vocabularies  of  the  Assiniboin  language  have  been  published  from  time 
to  time.  So  far  as  I  am  able  to  learn,  the  first  one  given  to  the  public  was  published  by 
Umfreville  (1790),  consisting  of  forty-four  words. 

The  Prince  of  Neuwied,  in  his  excellent  work,  "  Travels  in  North  America,"  1839-41, 
gives  quite  an  extended  vocabulary,  with  some  interesting  remarks  in  regard  to  their 
manners  and  customs.  Prior  to  this  time,  however  (1817),  Major  S.  H.  Long  obtained  a 
small  but  accurate  list  of  words  of  their  language,  which  was  published  in  the  appendix 


INDIAN    TKIBES   OF   THE    MISSOURI    VALLEY.  381 

to  his  "  Account  of  an  Expedition  from  Pittsburg  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  in  1819  and 
1820." 

The  most  important  vocabulary  of  the  language  of  this  tribe  ever  published  may  be 
found  in  the  fourth  volume  of  Schoolcraft's  great  work,  which  consists  of  over  four  hun 
dred  words,  prepared  by  Mr.  E.  T.  Denig,  an  intelligent  trader,  who  resided  for  many 
years  at  the  junction  of  the  Yellowstone  and  Missouri  Rivers,  as  superintendent  of  Fort 
Union,  the  trading-post  for  the  Assiniboins.  I  know  of  no  others  that  are  of  sufficient 
importance  to  mention  here. 

We  will  now  continue  the  history  of  the  Assiniboins  as  given  by  the  most  intelligent 
men  of  the  tribe.  The  name  of  this  tribe  among  themselves  is  Dakota,  the  same  as  that 
of  the  numerous  tribes  along  the  Missouri  and  the  sources  of  the  Mississippi,  and  with 
them  it  signifies  "  our  people."  By  the  Dakotas  they  are  called  "  Ho'-he,"  or  Fish-eaters, 
perhaps  from  the  fact  that  they  lived  on  fish  while  residing  in  the  British  possessions,  as 
most  of  the  Indians  do  in  the  absence  of  other  food.  By  the  Crees  and  Chippeways  they 
are  called  A-si-ni-poi'-tuk  or  Stone  Indians, — thence  the  name  of  Assiniboins  is  derived. 
As  has  been  stated,  at  the  earliest  date  known  they  roved  about  the  sources  of  the  St. 
Peter's  and  Des  Moines  Rivers,  Lac  du  Diable,  Lac  qui  Parle,  &c.,  and  were  then  joined 
with  the  Dakotas  proper,  who  inhabited  and  claimed  all  the  land  between  the  Mississippi 
and  Missouri  as  low  down  as  Big  Sioux  River,  reaching  to  the  source  of  James  River,  and 
stretching  thence  northward  as  far  as  Lac  du  Diable.  There  were  also  other  bands  of 
Dakotas  (Tetons),  occupying  the  country  west  of  the  Missouri.  The  number  of  the  As 
siniboins  when  they  separated  could  not  have  been  much  less  than  fifteen  hundred  lodges, 
averaging  six  souls  to  a  lodge.  Their  migration  has  already  been  alluded  to,  and  the  ex 
tent  of  territory  which  they  traversed  in  search  of  game,  in  the  Hudson's  Bay  country, 
along  the  Saskatchewan,  was  very  great,  but  at  the  present  time  their  location  is  entirely 
different,  which  we  may  as  well  define  at  this  time. 

The  northern  Assiniboins  roam  over  the  country  from  the  west  banks  of  the  Saskatche 
wan  and  Assiniboin  Rivers,  in  a  western  direction,  to  the  Woody  Mountains,  north  and 
west  amongst  some  of  the  small  outliers  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  east  of  the  Missouri,  and 
on  the  banks  of  the  small  lakes  frequently  met  with  on  the  plains  in  that  district.  They 
consist  of  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  or  three  hundred  lodges,  and  they  occasionally 
make  peace  with  some  of  the  most  northern  bands  of  Blackfeet,  which  enables  them  to 
extend  a  little  farther  Avest,  and  deal  with  those  Indians,  but  these  peace  arrangements 
are  usually  of  short  duration,  and  thus  they  are,  for  the  most  part,  limited  in  their  hunt 
ing  operations,  and  confined  to  the  prairies  east  and  north  of  the  Blackfoot  range.  The 
remainder  of  the  tribe,  now  reduced  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  lodges,  occupy  the  district 
defined  as  follows.  Commencing  at  the  mouth  of  White  Earth  River  on  the  east,  extend- 


382  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY    AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 

ing  up  that  river  to  and  as  far  beyond  its  source  as  the  Grand  Coulee  and  the  head  of  La 
lliviere  aux  Souris,  thence  northwest  along  the  Coteau  de  Prairie,  or  divide,  as  far  as  the 
beginning  of  the  Cypress  Mountains,  on  the  north  fork  of  Milk  River,  down  that  river  to 
its  junction  with  the  Missouri,  thence  down  the  Missouri  to  White  Earth  River,  the 
starting-point.  Formerly  they  inhabited  a  portion  of  the  country  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Missouri,  along  the  Yellowstone,  but  of  late  years,  having  met  with  great  losses  in  that 
direction,  from  war-parties  of  the  Blackfeet,  Dakotas,  and  Crows,  they  have  been  obliged 
to  abandon  it,  and  now  never  go  there. 

Until  the  year  1838  the  tribe  still  numbered  from  a  thousand  to  twelve  hundred  lodges, 
trading  on  the  Missouri,  when  the  small-pox  reduced  them  to  less  than  four  hundred 
lodges.  They  were  also  surrounded  by  large  and  hostile  tribes,  who  continually  made 
war  upon  them,  and  in  this  way  their  number  was  diminished,  though  at  the  present  time 
they  are  slowly  on  the  increase. 

The  chief  rivers  running  through  the  Assiniboin  country  are,  first,  the  Missouri,  which 
is  so  well  known  that  it  needs  no  description  here.  The  next  is  Milk  lliver,  on  the  north 
west  boundary,  a  very  long  and  narrow  stream,  rising  in  some  of  the  small  mountains  east 
of  the  Missouri,  and  lakes  on  the  plains,  runs  a  southwest  course,  and  empties  into  the 
Missouri  about  a  hundred  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone.  Its  bed  is  about 
two  hundred  yards  wide,  though  the  water  seldom  occupies  more  than  one-third  of  that 
space,  except  during  the  spring  thaws,  when  for  a  week  or  two  it  fills  the  entire  bed,  and 
even  overflows  the  valley.  It  is  fordable  on  horseback  the  year  round,  except  at  the  time 
above  mentioned,  or  Avhen  swollen  by  continued  rains,  and  it  might  even  be  navigated 
with  Mackinaw  boats,  when  full,  though  the  undertaking  would  be  attended  with  some 
risk,  owing  to  the  large  quantity  of  drift-wood,  snags,  and  other  obstructions.  The  water 
in  a  high  stage  has  a  white  and  milky  appearance,  caused  by  its  flowing  through  beds  of 
white  clay,  which  are  found  along  nearly  the  entire  length  of  it,  but  more  especially  near 
the  sources  of  most  of  its  tributaries. 

The  Riviere  aux  Tremble,  or  Quaking  Asp  River,  empties  into  the  Missouri  about  fifty 
miles  below  Milk  River,  is  about  half  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  other,  and  takes  its 
rise  in  the  range  of  hills  constituting  the  divide  called  the  Woody  Mountains.  It  is  ford- 
able  at  all  times,  except  during  spring  freshets,  or  when  filled  by  heavy  rains,  at  which 
times  it  could  be  navigated  with  small  Mackinaw  or  flatboats,  if  floating  ice  and  drift-wood 
would  permit. 

Several  creeks  or  small  streams,  of  comparatively  little  importance,  flow  into  the  Mis 
souri  lower  down  on  the  east  side,  called  Porcupine,  Big  Muddy,  Little  Muddy,  Knife 
River,  &c.,  none  of  which  contain  much  water.  These,  with  several  small  coulees,  serve 
to  drain  the  plains  of  the  waters  caused  by  snow  and  rains,  and  are  for  the  most  part  miry, 
and  only  fordable  on  horseback  in  certain  places  where  gravel  bottoms  are  found. 


INDIA.N   TRIBES  OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  383 

After  these  comes  White  Earth  lliver,  on  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  district  now 
under  consideration,  which  is  about  one  hundred  miles  in  length,  and  at  the  mouth  over 
one  hundred  yards  wide.  This  like  the  others  becomes  very  full  from  the  melting  of  snow 
in  the  spring,  but  falls  low  enough  in  course  of  the  summer  to  be  fordable  in  most  places, 
either  on  foot  or  on  horseback.  This  stream  could  be  navigated  with  small  canoes  during 
the  months  of  April  and  May.  It  takes  its  name  from  a  kind  of  white  pipe-clay,  which 
occurs  about  half  way  to  its  source,  and  is  supplied  with  water  from  springs  in  the  Coteau 
de  Prairie. 

The  entire  country  occupied  by  the  Assiniboins,  or  hunted  in  exclusively  by  them,  the 
outline  of  which  has  been  given,  embraces  an  area  of  about  20,000  square  miles,  and  pre 
sents  the  same  general  features  as  the  rest  of  the  Upper  Missouri  territory,  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Missouri  River.  From  James  River  up,  it  may  be  said  to  be  one  great  plain,  hills 
and  timber  only  occurring  where  rivers  run,  and  even  the  small  streams  are  wooded  only 
a  short  distance  above  their  mouths,  so  that  the  traveller  may  pass  for  days  over  large 
tracts  without  meeting  with  a  tree  or  shrub.  In  the  valleys  of  the  rivers,  there  is  some 
good  land  for  agricultural  purposes,  but  the  level  plains  present  a  sterile  aspect,  and  can 
only  be  adapted  to  the  grazing  of  cattle.  The  soil  for  the  most  part  is  not  deep,  but  light 
and  sandy,  absorbs  rain  readily,  and  the  hills,  which  are  usually  composed  of  indurated 
sands  and  clays,  are  often  washed  by  atmospheric  agencies  into  most  grotesque  and  singular 
forms,  called  by  the  Indians  ma-ka-si'-6a,  or  "  Bad  Lands." 

The  indigenous  grasses  are  quite  numerous  in  species,  and  very  nutritious,  affording 
most  excellent  pasturage  for  horses,  horned  cattle,  and  sheep.  The  dry  season  of  autumn 
gradually  desiccates  the  vegetation,  so  that  all  the  nutritious  substances  remain,  and  it  is 
not  until  the  melting  of  the  snows  of  spring  that  their  nutritious  character  is  lost.  At  this 
period,  all  the  herbivorous  animals  of  the  plains  become  quite  weak  and  thin  in  flesh,  but 
quickly  recover  in  the  months  of  May  arid  June.  This  monotonous  and  barren  surface  of 
the  country  only  terminates  after  crossing  the  Coteau  de  Prairie,  which  divides  the  waters 
of  the  Missouri  from  those  of  the  Red  River  of  the  North,  where  both  the  nature  of  the 
soil  and  the  general  appearance  present  an  entirely  different  character,  to  Avhich  allusion 
has  already  been  made  in  our  description  of  the  Crees. 

Though  wood  cannot  be  found  to  any  extent  in  the  Assiniboin  plains,  and  dried  buffalo - 
dung,  usually  called  "  buffalo  chips,"  is  used  by  the  natives  for  fuel  during  the  summer 
season,  or  any  portion  of  the  year  when  the  ground  is  not  covered  with  snow,  yet  water 
can  be  had  at  all  times  from  small  lakes,  or  rather  large  ponds.  These  are  met  with  in 
many  places  on  the  prairie,  are  formed  by  rain  or  melted  snow,  and  have  no  visible  outlet, 
but  diminish  by  evaporation  and  saturation.  They  differ  in  size  from  one  hundred 
yards  to  two  or  three  miles  in  circumference,  usually  contain  tolerably  good  water,  are 
VOL.  xir. — 49 


384  ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 

surrounded  by  a  border  of  tall  flags  and  rushes,  and  in  the  autumn  covered  with  myriads 
of  wild  fowl.  A  few  small  springs  are  seen  occasionally,  but  most  of  them  have  a  mineral 
taste,  and  possess  active  cathartic  properties. 

Notwithstanding  the  dull  and  dreary  appearance  always  presented  by  naked  and  exten 
sive  plains,  there  are  no  places  that  could  properly  be  termed  deserts,  though  there  are  some 
marshes,  pools,  and  swamps,  which,  however,  are  not  very  near  together,  or  of  a  nature  to 
present  any  formidable  obstruction  to  travel,  neither  do  they  seem  to  affect  the  health  of  the 
natives,  any  farther  than  being  the  breeding-place  of  hosts  of  mosquitoes,  which  are  very 
annoying  to  man  and  beast. 

The  principal  hindrance  to  foot  travellers  in  this  district,  is  the  great  abundance  of  a 
few  species  of  Cacti,  or  as  they  are  usually  called,  "  prickly  pears,"  some  of  which  are 
armed  with  long,  sharp,  barbed  spines,  and  readily  pierce  the  moccasined  feet  of  the  In 
dian  or  voyageur.  The  dogs,  also,  used  by  the  Indians  for  carrying  burdens  on  the  plains, 
suffer  severely  from  these  spines,  though  the  older  and  more  experienced  have  the  faculty 
of  perceiving  and  avoiding  them  even  while  running.  The  principal  varieties  known  in 
this  region  are  Opuntia  Missouriensis  and  0.  fragilis,  both  species  of  which  cover  thou 
sands  of  acres  over  the  West.  The  smaller  and  most  annoying  form  is  the.  0.  fmgilis, 
the  joints  of  which  separate  very  readily,  and  adhere  by  the  spines  to  the  legs  of  horses  or 
the  clothes  of  travellers,  and  owing  to  the  barbed  character  of  the  thorns,  produce  often 
quite  serious  and  painful  results. 

The  climate  in  this  latitude  is  pure  and  dry,  and  perhaps  the  healthiest  in  the  world. 
In  the  months  of  April,  May,  and  to  the  middle  of  June,  when  east  winds  prevail,  much 
rain  falls,  but  during  the  rest  of  the  summer  and  autumn,  the  weather  is  dry  and  mode 
rately  warm,  there  being  only  a  short  period  in  July  and  August  of  intense  heat.  There 
are  not  unfrequently  severe  thunderstorms  during  the  hot  season,  accompanied  by  rain  or 
hail,  which  in  a  few  hours  swell  the  small  streams  so  that  they  overflow  their  banks,  but 
with  the  cessation  of  the  rain,  they  fall  as  suddenly  as  they  rise.  The  Missouri  and  most 
of  its  tributaries  inundate  the  neighboring  valleys,  when  rain  falls  for  ten  or  fifteen  days 
in  succession.  This  usually  happens  in  the  month  of  June,  when  they  are  already  nearly 
full  of  water  from  the  snow  melting  near  their  heads.  This  is  not,  however,  of  very  fre 
quent  occurrence.  Strong  gales  of  wind  also  come  from  the  west  and  southwest  in  form 
of  sudden  gusts,  prostrating  numbers  of  trees  along  the  banks  of  the  Missouri,  but  these 
storms  only  last  for  a  few  moments,  and  are  not  common.  The  summer  season,  being 
short,  leaves  vegetation  but  little  time  to  decay,  and  the  firing  of  the  prairies,  which 
happens  more  or  less  every  year  in  different  parts,  burns  up  all  the  old  grass,  fallen  timber, 
and  underbrush  along  the  river  bottoms.  Owing  partly  to  these  facts,  partly  to  the  very 
equable  temperature,  and  the  absence  of  excessive  moisture,  the  air  is  pure  and  invigorating, 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  385 

and  few  epidemics  rage  among  the  migratory  Indians.  Fevers  are  almost  unknown,  and 
nervous  diseases  seldom  met  with. 

The  transition  from  summer  to  winter  is  very  sudden  ;  no  long  period  of  time  intervenes 
equivalent  to  the  Indian  summer  of  the  States.  A  few  days  arc  often  sufficient  to  deprive 
the  trees  of  leaves,  freeze  up  the  running  streams,  and  clothe  the  yet  partially  green  plains 
with  a  garment  of  snow.  The  winters  arc  variahle,  mostly  very  cold,  with  deep  snow. 
During  the  period  of  greatest  cold,  the  mercury  freezes.  It  often  remains  frozen  for  seve 
ral  days,  and  for  weeks  together  the  temperature  ranges  from  thirty  to  forty  degrees  below 
zero.  The  snow-storms  at  this  period  are  terrible,  and  almost  certain  death  befalls  those 
who  are  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  caught  on  the  plains.  During  every  extremely  cold 
winter  Indians  are  frozen  to  death,  many  instances  of  which  might  be  recorded  here. 
Other  winters  are  mild,  but  little  snow  falls,  though  there  is  always  a  short  spell  of  in 
tense  cold,  mostly  in  the  month  of  January.  When  the  winter  proves  mild  and  open,  a 
disagreeable  spring  follows,  snow  falls  in  May,  and  March  and  April  produce  cold  winds, 
rain,  snow,  and  sleet.  Occasionally,  however,  the  spring  opens  finely,  and  the  change 
from  winter  to  summer  is  as  sudden  as  from  warm  to  winter  weather.  The  constant  ex 
posure  to  cold,  inseparable  from  the  lives  and  occupation  of  the  Indians,  sleeping  on  damp 
ground,  wet  feet,  and  insufficient  clothing,  bring  on  bronchitis,  pulmonary  affections, 
rheumatism,  and  sometimes  quinsy.  These  diseases  do  not-often  prove  immediately  fatal, 
but  usually  enfeeble  the  constitution.  By  reference  to  some  tables  of  temperature  kept 
at  Fort  Union,  we  find  the  longest  winter  on  record  to  be  that  of  1844,  when  the  Missouri 
closed  on  the  9th  of  November,  and  opened  on  the  21st  of  April. 

The  Assiniboins  do  not  raise  any  cattle  or  sheep,  but  judging  from  the  stock  reared  at 
Fort  Union,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone,  the  country  is  well  adapted  to  grazing 
purposes.  The  grasses  of  spontaneous  growth  are  very  nutritious,  and  their  supply  inex 
haustible.  The  only  obstruction  seems  to  be  the  severe  cold  of  winter  and  the  deep  snow, 
though  if  animals  arc  housed  and  provided  for  during  a  month  or  two  in  midwinter,  it 
has  been  proven  that  no  hardier  or  better  stock  can  be  raised  in  any  country  than  in  this. 
Sheep  especially  would  thrive  well  if  properly  cared  for,  as  far  as  grazing  is  concerned, 
though  the  great  number  of  wolves  with  which  the  country  abounds  would  present  a  for 
midable  objection.  Large  quantities  of  good  hay  can  be  cut  either  on  the  Missouri 
bottoms  or  in  the  valleys  of  other  streams,  and,  by  experiments  made  near  Fort  Union,  it 
has  been  ascertained  that  oats,  corn,  potatoes,  and  all  garden  vegetables  grow  well  in 
favorable  seasons.  The  soil,  being  light  and  sandy,  requires  frequent  rains  to  produce 
a  good  crop,  which  happens  about  one  year  in  three,  the  others  failing  from  drouth  and 
destruction  by  grasshoppers  and  other  insects.  The  natural  productions  of  the  soil  which 
are  useful  for  food  to  man  arc  not  very  numerous,  but  are  held  in  high  esteem  by  the 


386  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

Indians.  Wild  turnips  (Psoralea  esculentii).  artichokes  (Helianthus  tuberosud),  bullberries 
(Shepherdia  argentea),  choke-cherries  (Prunus  Viryinuma),  red  plums  (P.  Americana),  ser 
vice-berries  (Amelancliier  Canadensis),  rose-buds,  gooseberries,  currants,  sour  grapes,  and 
a  plant  resembling  the  garden  rhubarb,  are  the  principal  fruits,  and  are  eagerly  sought  for 
at  their  proper  season.  When  dried  or  cooked  in  various  ways,  they  are  considered  great 
luxuries.  Wild  hops  (Humulus  lupulm  var.  Amcricanus),  are  found  in  abundance,  pos 
sessing  all  the  properties  of  the  cultivated  plant. 

When  the  Assiniboins  migrated  to  the  Missouri  and  the  contiguous  territory  now  occu 
pied  by  them,  they  numbered,  as  has  been  observed,  from  ten  to  twelve  hundred  lodges. 
They  did  not  all  come  at  the  same  time,  but  by  bands,  at  different  periods,  from  1800  to 
1837,  when  the  whole  tribe  may  be  said  to  have  established  themselves  on  their  present 
lands,  except  that  portion  which  still  remains  in  the  British  territory.  Their  first  inter 
view  with  white  people  was  at  the  time  when  the  traders  of  the  Mississippi  pushed  their 
traffic  as  far  as  their  camps,  when  joined  with  the  Dakotas  proper,  at  which  time  they  were 
the  poorest  of  all  Indians.  They  used  knives  made  of  the  hump-rib  of  a  buffalo,  hatchets 
of  flint,  cooking  utensils  of  clay  or  skin,  awls  and  other  tools  made  of  bone,  and  arrow-points 
and  spear-heads  of  stone,  some  of  which  articles  can  still  be  found  among  them,  though 
most  of  them  have  been  replaced  by  more  durable  metallic  instruments  obtained  from  the 
traders.  As  soon  as  enough  had  arrived  on  the  Missouri  to  afford  a  trading  establishment, 
the  American  Fur  Company  built  a  fort  on  White  Earth  lliver  for  their  trade,  which  post 
was  removed  in  a  year  or  two  and  a  large  substantial  fort  built  three  miles  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Yellowstone,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Missouri.  It  required  some  years  to 
bring  these  savages  to  anything  like  an  appreciation  of  order  or  system,  and  ammunition, 
guns,  knives,  &c.,  had  to  be  furnished  them  gratis  ;  horses  were  sold  to  them  very  cheaply, 
and  every  inducement  held  out  to  them  to  improve  their  condition  by  labor.  Though 
wretchedly  supplied  with  arms,  clothing,  and  other  necessary  articles,  and  subject  to  ex 
treme  want  at  all  times,  yet  they  were  so  lazy  and  improvident,  their  wants  were  so  few, 
that  many  years  passed  before  the  proceeds  of  their  hunts  more  than  paid  the  expenses  of 
their  trading  establishment.  They  were  also  of  a  thievish  and  malicious  disposition, 
seldom  bloodthirsty,  but  perpetually  annoying  the  traders  by  stealing  their  horses,  robbing 
and  insulting  the  men  in  their  employ  when  found  on  the  prairie,  killing  their  domestic 
cattle,  and  obstructing  them  in  their  operations  in  every  way.  They  were  the  most  impu 
dent  beggars,  and  having  been  supplied  with  many  tilings  to  induce  them  to  work,  they 
at  once  came  to  the  conclusion  that  this  state  of  things  must  continue,  and  any  refusal  to 
supply  their  demands  was  resented  in  some  of  the  ways  just  mentioned.  This  condition 
of  affairs  continued  to  grow  worse  and  worse,  until  the  gates  of  the  fort  were  closed  upon 
them,  and  they  were  compelled  to  trade  within  range  of  a  loaded  cannon. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  387 

The  first  calamity  which  cast  a  gloom  over  this  nation  occurred  when  the  small-pox 
visited  them  in  1838.  This  disease  made  its  appearance  at  Fort  Union  when  the  steam 
boat  arrived  in  the  month  of  June  with  the  annual  supplies  for  the  post.  No  Indians 
were  then  in  the  vicinity,  except  the  wives  of  the  employes  of  the  Fur  Company  in  the 
fort,  every  one  of  whom  caught  the  infection,  and  in  a  short  time  thirty  persons  were 
attacked.  When  the  first  band  of  Assiniboins  came,  they  were  met  a  mile  or  more  from 
the  fort  by  good  interpreters,  who  represented  to  them  the  danger  of  going  near,  and 
goods  were  taken  out  to  them  with  the  intention  of  trading  with  them  at  a  distance ;  but 
all  efforts  of  that  kind  were  disregarded,  and  they  passed  on  to  the  fort,  and  two  hundred 
and  fifty  lodges,  or  upwards  of  one  thousand  persons,  contracted  the  disease  at  the  same 
time,  and  in  a  short  period  they  were  reduced  to  about  thirty  lodges,  or  one  hundred  and 
fifty  persons,  old  and  young.  Other  bands  coming  in  from  time  to  time  caught  the  dis 
ease,  some  of  which  remained  at  the  fort,  where  the  dead  bodies  were  daily  thrown  into 
the  river  by  scores.  Others  attempted  to  escape  by  running  away,  and  the  different  roads 
leading  from  the  fort  were  dotted  with  dead  bodies,  and  occasionally  lodges  were  standing 
in  which  whole  families  lay  dead.  The  Indians  in  vain  tried  their  own  remedies,  and  the 
disease  continued  until  midwinter,  when  it  seemed  to  have  spent  its  power  and  ceased. 
Out  of  one  thousand  lodges  of  Assiniboins  only  four  hundred  remained,  and  of  these  two 
hundred  were  saved  by  having  been  vaccinated  in  former  years  by  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company. 

At  the  present  time  the  Assiniboin  tribe  is  separated  into  the  following  bands : 

1.  wah-to'-pali-an-da-to,  Gens  du  Gauche,          100  lodges,  averaging  four  persons. 

2.  min'-i-shi-nak'-a-to,  Gens  du  Lac,  60      "  " 

3.  i'-an-to'-an,  Gens  des  Roches,  50      "  " 

4.  wi-ic'-ap-i-nali,  Gens  des  Filles,  GO      "  " 

5.  wali-to'-pap-i-nali,  Gens  des  Canots,  220      "  " 

6.  wah-zi-ah,  or  to-kum'-pi,  Gens  du  Nord,  30  to  50      "  " 

Several  smaller  bands  are  also  found  near  the  Montagnc  du  Bois,  but  these,  for  the  most 
part,  belong  to  and  reside  in  the  English  territory.  The  Gens  du  Gauche1,  above  named, 
inhabit  that  part  of  the  district  described,  along  the  Woody  Mountains  on  the  west  side 
in  summer,  often  moving  westward  to  the  sources  of  the  Quaking  Asp  Kiver,  and  toward 
autumn  locate  their  camp  at  or  above  Big  Muddy  River,  or  along  the  first-named  stream. 
In  this  direction,  along  the  east  shore  of  the  Missouri,  wintering-houses  are  built  by  the 
Fur  Company  for  the  convenience  of  the  Indians,  and  also  for  collecting  the  buffalo-robes 
and  other  skins  they  obtain  by  hunting. 

The  Gens  des  Canots  are  commonly  found  along  AVhitc  Earth  River,  and  extend  their 
travels,  in  the  summer  season,  as  far  north  as  the  sources  of  La  Riviere  aux  Souris,  Grand 


388  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY  AND  PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

Coulee,  and  Pcmbina  River.  Indeed,  the  entire  extent  of  country  east  of  Fort  Union  as 
far  down  as  the  Great  Bend  is  hunted  in  by  them  at  different  times ;  but  owing  to  the 
absence  of  fuel  on  this  broad  plain,  they  are  obliged  to  place  their  camp  on  or  near  the 
Missouri  during  the  winter  season.  They  are,  therefore,  usually  found  at  that  time  either 
on  White  Earth  River  or  above  that  point,  where  trading-houses  are  established  for  their 
benefit.  Some  fifteen  or  twenty  lodges  of  this  band  trade  at  the  posts  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company,  or  with  the  half-breeds  of  lied  River,  who  visit  their  camp  during  the 
winter  with  dog-sledges  loaded  with  merchandise.  The  remaining  bands  mentioned,  are 
scattered  over  the  intervening  region  between  those  of  the  two  bands  just  mentioned,  moving 
from  point  to  point  near  the  Coteau  dc  Prairie  in  summer,  approaching  the  Missouri  in 
the  autumn,  and  stationing  themselves  on  its  banks  or  low  down  on  some  of  its  tributaries. 
These  bands  commonly  make  their  winter  hunt  near  the  Quaking  Asp  River,  and  along 
that  stream,  but  when  the  weather  permits  them  to  travel  over  the  unwoodcd  plains,  pro 
ceed  as  far  north  as  the  Cypress  Mountains.  Some  of  them,  especially  the  Gens  du  Nord, 
go  still  farther,  and  trade  either  at  some  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  posts  on  the 
Assiniboin  River,  or  with  the  Red  River  half-breeds. 

The  Assiniboins  subsist  almost  entirely  on  the  proceeds  of  their  hunts.  The  buffalo  is 
the  principal  animal  killed,  which  is  found  in  greater  numbers  through  this  territory  than 
in  other  districts.  The  meat  of  this  animal,  either  fresh  or  cured  by  drying,  is  their  prin 
cipal  food.  Smaller  game,  such  as  elk,  deer,  and  antelope,  are  not  killed  to  any  extent. 
Some  indigenous  fruits  and  roots  aid  considerably  in  their  support,  at  times  when  buffalo 
are  too  far  from  camp.  The  skins  of  the  animals  killed  by  them  serve  for  their  clothing, 
and  lodges,  or  are  exchanged  with  the  Fur  Company  for  articles  of  use  and  comfort,  assorted 
to  suit  their  wants.  Owing  to  their  nomadic  life,  they  seldom  have  a  supply  of  meat  laid 
up  for  the  future,  and  consequently  often  live  on  a  short  allowance  for  a  time ;  but  Avlicn 
buffalo  are  near  at  hand,  there  is  continual  feasting  throughout  the  camp.  It  also  some 
times  happens  that  from  an  entire  disappearance  of  these  animals,  they  are  distressed  by 
actual  want,  which  was  the  case  in  1846,  when  they  ate  their  dogs  and  horses,  and,  in 
some  instances,  even  their  own  children.  They  have  but  few  horses,  and  these  are  re 
quired  to  transport  their  tents  and  children  when  travelling.  Dogs  are  used  to  a  great 
extent  for  carrying  burdens,  but  they  cannot  carry  heavy  packs,  and  when  killed  for  food, 
their  means  for  migrating  from  point  to  point  is  taken  away,  especially  in  the  winter, 
when  the  snow  is  so  deep  that  horses  cannot  travel.  This  inability  to  transport  provisions 
prevents  the  desire  to  lay  up  for  the  future,  and  militates  against  any  economy.  They 
are  compelled  to  follow  the  buffalo  at  all  times  when  one  day's  travel  from  their  camp. 
In  this  respect  they  are  not  as  comfortable  as  those  tribes  who  live  in  stationary  villages, 
as  the  Mandans,  Minnetarces,  &c.,  who  take  care  to  lay  up  a  good  store  of  provisions 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY. 


389 


for  the  future.  Their  roving  habits  prevent  the  accumulation  of  much  baggage.  All 
useless  articles  must  be  thrown  away  to  make  room  for  those  that  are  necessary,  and  thus 
personal  property  cannot  be  acquired  to  any  amount.  Even  their  horses,  the  main  stay  of 
their  existence,  are  .very  precarious  stock,  being  subject  at  any  moment  to  be  taken  away 
by  the  hostile  tribes  in  the  neighboring  territories.  These  things  united  produce  a  care 
lessness  of  character  and  an  apathy  of  disposition  which  runs  through  most  of  their 
actions. 

In  their  personal  appearance,  they  are  not  remarkable  for  either  beauty  or  homeliness. 
The  men  average  about  the  middle  height,  and  usually  have  a  determined,  dogged  look,  es 
pecially  when  in  a  strange  place.  In  their  homes,  however,  they  are  more  sociable.  Each 
master  of  a  lodge  preserves  a  degree  of  dignity  in  his  family  circle,  and  exhibits  a  deter 
mination  to  be  respected.  They  do  not  play  or  joke  much  with  their  women  or  children, 
nor  do  they  enter  into  useless  quarrels  or  recriminations.  Trifling  differences  are  settled 
by  decision  of  the  master  in  a  tone  of  authority,  and  more  serious  quarrels  are  ended  by  the 
sudden  application  of  the  tomahawk.  They  are  affectionate  to  their  children,  kind  to 
strangers,  distant  in  their  manners  to  each  other  unless  to  kindred,  and  very  revengeful 
when  roused  into  passion. 

There  arc  but  few  handsome  women  amongst  them,  and  virtue  is  somewhat  rare  except 
in  very  young  females.  In  these  matters,  however,  they  ate  very  sly  and  modest,  exhi 
biting  none  of  the  bold  and  barefaced  vulgarity  of  the  Arikaras  and  Crows.  They  do  not 
seem  to  be  an  amorous  people,  and  marriages  are  often  contracted  for  the  first  time  at 
twenty-five  or  thirty  years  of  age. 


VOCABULARY   OF   THE   ASSINIBOIN   DIALECT   OP   THE   DAKOTA   LANGUAGE. 


above,  a-kan'. 
alive,  ni. 
all,  o-was'. 
ankle,  si-kun'-paz-o. 
arm,  ish-to'. 
arrow,  wa-hink'-a-pa. 
autumn,  pi-ti'-i-tu. 
axe,  Gns'-pe. 

back,  ta-po'-ta. 
bark,  ouy-ha'. 
bear,  ma-to'. 
beard,  pu-tc'-hi. 
beaver,  ea'-pa. 
belt,  i-pi'-ya-ka. 


bird,  tit-ka'-na. 

black,  sa'-pa. 

bladder,  ta-ne'-ha. 

blood,  o-we'. 

blue,  to. 

boat,  wa'-ta. 

body,  ta-eun'. 

bone,  hu-hu'. 

bow,  i-tas'-i-pa. 

boy,  oli-shi'-na. 

breast,  maij-ku'. 

breechcloth,  <:c-gi-mm'-ka. 

brother,  6in-cu',  elder  brother. 

sun-ka'-ku,   younger   bro 
ther. 


buffalo,  wo'-ta-ca,  buffalo  in  a  herd. 

ta-tun'-ga,  a  bull, 
burn,  spaun,  to  burn. 

call,  ki-paun',  to  call. 

cap,  wa-pa'-ha,  hat  or  cap. 

certainly,  tok. 

chicken,  5m-pau'-ho-to. 

chief,  hiin-ga'. 

coat,  c'a-i-gi-nunk'-a. 

cold,  sni. 

copper,  muz'-a-zi,  gold  or  brass. 

cow,  pte. 

crow,  a'-a-na. 

cry,  6e'-a,  to  cry. 


390 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


dance,  wa-ci'. 
darkness,  i-oh'-paz-a. 
daughter,  ei-wint'-ku. 
day,  aum'-pa. 
dead,  ta,  to  die. 
deer,  tali'-ca,  red  deer. 

sin-te'-sa-pa,  black-tailed  deer, 
dog.  shunk'-a. 
door,  ti-o'-pa. 
drink,  yat-ka',  to  drink. 

eagle,  wa-min-di'. 
ear,  noh'-a. 
earth,  man'-ka. 
eat,  wo'-ta. 

wo'-tap-i,  eating. 
egg,  wlt'-ka. 
enemy,  to'-ka. 
evening,  h'ti'-i-tu. 
eye,  ish-ta'. 

face,  i-te'. 
far  off,  to'-hund. 
fat,  wa-shi'. 
father,  at'-e. 
feather,  wi'-ya-ka. 
finger,  nap-e'-wash-i. 
fire,  pe'-ta. 
fisher,  ske'-ca. 
flesh,  <k>-ni'-ca. 
flint,  caij-ki'-a-pa. 
flour,  ah-u'-a-pi. 
flower,  wal\-ca'. 
foot,  si-ya'. 
forest,  c'aij-no'-ha. 
fox,  to-ka'-na,  gray  fox. 

slmnk-a-sha'-na,  red  fox. 
friend,  ko-du'. 

give,  wi-c'in'-din-na. 
go,  i'-a,  to  go. 
good,  wash'-te. 

wi-wash'-te,     a     handsome 
woman. 


goose,  ma-lia'. 
grass,  pc-zi'. 
gray,  lio'-ta. 
grease,  wa'-su-ua. 
great,  tun'-ga. 
green,  wi'-to. 
grouse,  shi-o'. 
gun,  co-tun'-ga. 

hail,  wa-su'. 

hair,  pa-ha'. 

hand,  nap-e'. 

hawk,  6e-tun'. 

he,  i'-a. 

head,  pa. 

hear,  na-lio'. 

heart,  caij'-te. 

heel,  si-e'-te. 

hill,  pa-ha'. 

horse,  shun'-ga-tun'-ga. 

hot,  ka'-ta. 

mash'-ta,  hot  weather, 
house,  ti'-pi,  house  or  lodge. 

ti-ma'-hon,  in  the  house. 
husband,  hi-ku'-nun-ku. 

I,  mi'-a. 

ice,  dali'-a. 

Indian,  iks-dc'-wi-6as'-ta. 

infant,  ta-ku-ski'-na. 

iron,  muz'-a. 

island,  wi'-ta. 

kettle,  de'-lia. 
kill,  kit'-e,  to  kill. 
knee,  ta-hun'-kc. 
knife,  mi'-na. 

lake,  min-de'. 

laugh,  i-ha'-l'ia,  to  laugh. 

lead,  muz-a-su'. 

leaf,  wali-pe'. 

leg,  hu. 

leggin,  hon'-ska. 


lightning,  o-wa-ni-hink'-an-du-ka. 

little,  to'-nun-a. 

live,  ni-wa',  I  live. 

liver,  pi. 

love,  dan-te'-do-za. 

maize,  wa-ko-mo'-hi-za. 
man,  wi-cas'-ta. 

wa-si'-c"u,  a  white  man. 
meat,  ta-do',  raw  meat. 

wa-c-o'-ni-ca,  dried  meat, 
midday,  wi-cV-kun. 
midnight,  hi'-i-tu-co'-kun. 
mink,  i'-ku-sa. 
mole,  wi-ash'-pu-na. 
moon,  ha-wi'. 
moose,  tali', 
morning,  Li-a'-ki-ni. 
mother,  i-na'. 
mountain,  he. 
mouth,  i. 
much,  o'-ta. 
muskrat,  sink'-po. 

nail,  shak-e'. 
navel,  eC-k-pa'. 
near,  ash-ka'-na. 
neck,  ta-hu'. 
night,  hi'-i-tu. 
no,  hi-ya'. 
nose,  po-lia'. 
nothing,  ta-ko-nish'. 

oar,  wa-ti'-ca-ga-bo'-ga. 
old,  we-ca'-ca. 
otter,  pi-tun'. 
owl,  hi-hun'-a. 

part,  a- pa', 
perhaps,  da. 
pipe,  can-du'-pa. 
plain,  o-min-da'. 
polecat,  ma-ha'. 
potato,  pa-lie'. 

rabbit,  mus-tin'-ca-na. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


391 


red,  sba. 

rock,  i-ya-tun'-ga. 

run,  du-za'-ha,  to  run. 

scalp,  wi-da'-pa-ha'. 

sea,  min-i-wa'-zi-ca. 

seat,  on'-za. 

see,  wa-ya'-ka,  to  sec. 

shirt,  ma-hen'-ta-um-pi. 

shoe,  caij-ham'-pa. 

shot-poucll,  tah-e-ik-un'. 

shoulder,  a'-min-do. 

sinew,  ik-un',  sinew  of  a  man. 

ta-kun',  sinew  of  an  animal. 
sing1,  do-wan',  to  sing, 
sister,  tunk-shi'. 
skin,  ha. 
sky,  moli-pi'-a-to. 
small,  di-ka'-na. 
snow,  wa. 

soldier,  a-ki'-di-ta,  warrior, 
son,  di-hint'-ku. 
speak,  i-a',  to  speak. 
spear,  wa-hu'-ka-za. 
spirit,  nali-e'. 

wa-kaij-tun'-ga,  Great  Spirit. 
spring  (of  water),  wi'-wi. 
spring,  we'-tu,  a  season, 
star,  wi-ca'-pi. 


stomach,  ali-cY. 
stone,  i'-yay. 
stream,  wal'i-pa'-na. 
strike,  a-pa',  to  strike, 
strong,  su-ta'. 
summer,  min-do-ke'-tu. 
sun,  wi. 

swan,  ma-ha'-ska. 
sweet,  sku'-ya. 

thigh,  de-da', 
think,  i-uk'-a-dan. 
this,  de. 
thou,  ni'-a. 
thunder,  o-te'. 
thy,  i-utu'-pi. 
tobacco,  can-di'. 
to-day,  am-pe'-ha. 
toe,  si-ya'-ink-pa. 
to-morrow,  hi-ak'-a-da. 
tongue,  de-ze'. 
tooth,  i. 
town,  wi-do'-te. 
turtle,  pat-ka'-sha. 

ugly,  shi'-ca,  bad. 

wi-da-si'-da,  an  ugly  man. 
under,  o-kun'- 


valley,  kcili'-a. 
vein,  kun. 

walk,  ma'-ni,  to  walk, 
war-club,  cun'-pi. 
water,  min'-i. 

inin-i-o'-han,    through    the 

water. 
we,  un-ki'. 
weak,  wan'-ka-na. 
what,  ta'-ko. 

which,  tuk-te'-wash-i,  which  one  ? 
white,  ska. 
who,  tu'-a. 
wife,  tau-i'-du. 
wind,  ta-te'. 
windpipe,  lo-te'. 
wing,  hu-pa'. 
winter,  wa-ni'-i-tu. 
wish,  wa-dink'-a. 
within,  ma-hen', 
without,  tun-kad'. 
wolf,  shunk-to'-ka-da. 
woman,  we'-ya. 
wood,  can. 

yellow,  zi. 
yes,  ho. 
young,  kosh'-ka. 


CHAPTER     XVI. 

X.    AUB-SA'-RO-KE,  OR  CROW  INDIANS. 

ETHNOGRAPHICAL   HISTORY. 

THE  Crows  were  once  united  with  the  Minnitarees  or  Gros  Venires,  who  now  occupy 
a  stationary  village  on  the  Missouri.  They  resided  with  them,  they  say,  at  different 
places  along  the  banks  of  the  Missouri,  where  the  remains  of  dirt  villages  are  still  to  be 
found.  About  eighty  years  since,  a  quarrel  arose  which  divided  them.  The  nation  was 
governed  by  two  factions,  each  headed  by  a  separate  chief,  both  of  whom  were  desperate 
men,  and  nearly  equal  in  the  number  of  their  followers.  Jealous  of  each  other,  and  striving 

VOL.  XII. — 50 


392  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

after  supreme  command,  many  difficulties  and  differences  arose  from  time  to  time,  though 
they  had  never  proceeded  to  extremes  on  these  occasions,  there  being  always  a  sufficient 
number  of  wise,  cool  heads  to  check  or  quell  such  disturbances.  At  one  time,  when  both 
the  chiefs  with  their  followers  Avere  on  a  hunt  together,  and  a  large  number  of  buffalo 
had  been  killed,  the  wives  of  the  leaders  quarrelled  about  s6me  portion  of  one  of  the 
animals.  From  words  they  came  to  blows,  and  from  blows  to  knives,  and  finally  one  of 
the  women  killed  the  other.  The  relatives  on  both  sides  then  took  part,  and  each  faction 
headed  by  its  chief  joined  in  the  affray,  and  a  sharp  contest  ensued,  in  which  several 
were  killed  on  both  sides.  The  result  was  that  about  one  half  left  the  other  portion  on 
the  Missouri,  and  migrated  to  the  llocky  Mountains,  through  which  wild  extensive  region 
they  still  continue  to  rove.  Why  they  are  called  Crows  we  cannot  tell ;  the  word  Aub-sa'- 
ro-ke,  the  name  they  give  themselves  in  their  own  language,  does  not  mean  a  crow  in 
particular,  but  anything  that  flies.  Since  leaving  the  Missouri,  their  language  has  changed 
to  some  extent,  but  still  they  can  converse  with  ease  with  the  Minnitarees. 

The  country  usually  inhabited  by  the  Crows,  is  in  and  near  the  llocky  Mountains, 
along  the  sources  of  Powder,  Wind,  and  Big-horn  Eivers,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Yellow 
stone,  as  far  as  Laramie  Fork  on  the  Biver  Platte.  They  are  also  often  found  on  the 
west  and  north  side  of  that  river,  as  far  as  the  source  of  the  Mussel-shell,  and  as  low  down 
as  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone.  That  portion  of  their  country  lying  cast  of  the  moun 
tains,  is  perhaps  the  best  game  country  in  the  world.  From  the  base  of  the  mountains  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone,  buffalo  are  always  to  be  found  in  immense  herds.  Along 
that  river,  elk  may  be  seen  in  droves  of  several  hundreds  at  a  time ;  also  large  herds  of 
deer  of  both  species,  Cervus  leucurus  and  C.  macrotis.  Antelope  cover  the  prairies,  and 
in  the  "Bad  Lands"  near  the  mountains,  the  moimtain  sheep  (Ovis  montana),  and  the 
grizzly  bear  are  found  in  the  greatest  abundance.  Every  creek  and  river  teem  with 
beaver,  and  almost  every  stream  furnishes  a  great  supply  of  fish  and  fowl  in  the  proper 
season. 

The  once  almost  fabulous  country  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  is  now  so  well  known  as 
scarcely  to  need  description  here.  The  scenery  of  the  district  now  under  consideration 
does  not  differ  materially  from  other  portions  of  the  mountain  region.  The  same  high 
stony  peaks  and  eternal  snows  are  seen,  interspersed  with  fertile  valleys  of  rich  land. 
Most  of  the  rivers  whose  sources  are  in  these  mountains  are  clear,  rapid  streams,  formed 
from  springs,  which  widen  into  lakes  of  different  sizes,  according  to  the  nature  of  the 
obstruction  the  water  meets  with  in  its  descent.  In  their  course  through  the  prairie 
country,  these  rivers  usually  assume  a  muddy  character,  from  the  alluvial  nature  of  their 
banks.  The  valleys  between  the  different  ranges  of  mountains  are  clothed  with  thick  grasses, 
many  flowers,  shrubs,  and  trees,  presenting  numerous  beautiful  landscapes.  The  higher 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  393 

ranges  of  mountains  may  be  divided  into  three  different  zones.  The  first  third,  from  the 
base  up,  is  well  covered  with  tall  pines,  poplars,  and  other  trees  of  large  growth.  The 
second  portion  is  composed  of  gigantic  masses  of  rock,  overhanging  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  present  a  frightful  appearance  to  the  traveller  below.  Among  these,  a  few  stinted 
cedars  and  pines,  with  some  other  shrubs  struggle  for  an  existence,  sometimes  taking  root 
where  there  is  apparently  no  earth.  In  the  last  zone,  the  vegetation  has  ceased,  and  the 
snow  commences,  which  continues  to  the  summit.  This  snow  is  perpetual,  though  a  por 
tion  of  it  melts  annually,  which  loss  is  supplied  the  ensuing  winter,  yet  it  is  presumed 
that  no  thaw  takes  place  on  the  summit,  but  on  the  sides  some  distance  down.  When 
the  snow  accumulates  on  the  projections -so  as  to  lose  its  balance,  it  is  precipitated  below 
in  the  form  of  avalanches,  something  like  those  of  the  Alps.  Taking  in  their  way  large 
rocks,  and  increasing  in  size  as  they  descend,  trees  give  way  before  them,  until  they  find 
rest  in  some  portion  of  the  lower  zone,  where  they  melt  away,  and  aid  in  forming  the 
sources  of  rivers.  Snow-slides  are  also  common,  by  which  piles  of  snow  miles  in  extent, 
are  detached,  and  force  their  way  into  the  valleys,  or  at  least  as  far  as  the  thickly  tim 
bered  section.  Some  of  the  springs  near  the  sources  of  the  Yellowstone  are  bituminous, 
sending  forth  an  inflammable  substance  like  tar ;  others  are  sulphurous,  and  a  few  are 
hot,  or  boiling.  The  water  of  the  last  is  hot  enough  to  cook  meat  readily.  Most  of  the 
tributaries  of  the  Ye^>wstone  are  well  fringed  with  timber,  though  the  river  itself  is 
wooded  only  about  half  the  way  from  its  mouth  to  the  base  of  the  mountains,  that  is,  many 
portions  of  it  for  considerable  distances  are  destitute  of  trees.  The  lower  portion  of  the 
valley  contains  wide  belts  of  cottonwood,  and  the  soil  is  moderately  good  for  agricultural 
purposes.  Considering  the  Crow  district  as  a  whole,  it  can  never  become  thickly  settled, 
and  all  the  land  that  can  ever  be  rendered  useful  for  cultivation,  is  found  only  in  the  valleys 
of  the  streams,  and  along  the  base  of  the  mountains. 

The  Yellowstone,  like  the  Missouri,  rises  to  the  top  of  its  banks  every  spring,  owing  to 
the  melting  of  the  snow  along  the  sides  of  the  mountains.  This  rise  usually  commences 
about  the  middle  of  May  and  continues  until  the  middle  of  June,  when  it  begins  to  fall, 
unless  kept  up  by  heavy  rains.  During  this  high  stage  of  Avater  steamers  of  light  draught 
might  navigate  it  to  the  first  rapids,  which  are  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  its 
mouth.  The  ice  commonly  yields  about  the  first  of  April,  and  when  broken  up  suddenly, 
by  pressure  of  water  from  the  mountains,  it  forms  dams  quite  across  the  valley,  raising  the 
water  fifty  or  sixty  feet,  and  inundating  the  neighboring  country.  The  Crow  Indians  are 
greatly  in  fear  of  the  water  on  these  occasions,  and  suffer  severely  when  taken  unawares. 
One  of  these  breakings  up  occurred  a  few  years  ago,  early  in  the  nionth  of  February. 
About  one  hundred  and  thirty  lodges  of  the  Crows  were  encamped  in  the  valley  of  the 
Yellowstone,  where  the  distance  from  bluff  to  bluff  is  more  than  three  miles.  The  water 


394  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   O?   THE 

came  down  upon  them  in  the  night  so  suddenly,  that  they  had  barely  time  to  escape  with 
their  lives  by  running  to  the  hills.  But  the  land  near  the  bluffs  is  often  lower  than  that 
near  the  bank  of  the  stream,  and  consequently  in  running  that  way  they  encountered 
water,  Avading  and  swimming  through  it  and  carrying  their  children.  They  lost  the  pro 
ducts  of  their  whole  winter's  hunt,  besides  nearly  all  their  arms,  ammunition,  and  other 
property.  When  the  water  fell  it  left  immense  quantities  of  ice  piled  up  around  their 
lodges,  causing  great  difficulty  in  securing  them  again.  Their  entire  loss  on  this  occasion 
could  not  have  been  less  than  ten  or  twelve  thousand  dollars  worth  of  robes  and  merchan 
dise.  At  another  time  the  American  Fur  Company's  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Big-horn 
was  inundated  in  the  same  way,  and  a  large  amount  of  property  destroyed.  This  river  is, 
when  high,  very  rapid  and  dangerous  to  navigate,  on  account  of  the  rocks,  snags,  and 
other  obstructions.  Mackinaw  boats  descend  it  every  year,  but  they  are  often  lost  and  the 
men  are  drowned. 

The  Crow  Indians  live  in  skin  huts  like  the  other  migratory  tribes.  They  formerly 
numbered  about  eight  hundred  lodges  or  families,  but  from  the  usual  causes  of  diminu 
tion,  disease  and  war,  are  now  reduced  to  four  hundred  and  sixty  lodges.  These  are 
separated  into  different  bands,  each  governed  by  a  chief,  and  occupying  different  parts  of 
their  territory.  Those  belonging  to  the  band  headed  by  the  "  Big  Robber,"  usually  make 
their  hunt  on  the  head  of  Powder  River,  and  of  late  years  take  thq^;  robes  to  the  trading- 
houses  along  the  Platte  River  in  the  spring.  Here  they  obtain  supplies  to  continue  their 
operations,  and  move  back  to  winter  quarters  early  in  the  fall.  The  largest  band  is  led 
by  a  chief  named  "Two-face,"  and  numbers  about  two  hundred  lodges.  These  range 
through  the  Wind  River  mountain  region,  and  deal  with  the  traders  of  the  American  Fur 
Company  located  on  the  Yellowstone.  A  third  portion,  under  their  chief,  "  Bear's  Head," 
wander  along  the  valley  of  the  Yellowstone,  from  mouth  to  source,  sometimes  passing  the 
winter  with  the  Assiniboins  near  Fort  Union.  The  whole  nation  have  a  rendezvous  every 
summer,  when,  after  performing  several  national  solemnities,  they  move  across  the  moun 
tains  to  exchange  the  greater  part  of  the  merchandise  for  horses.  This  traffic  is  carried 
on  with  the  Flat-heads  in  St.  Mary's  Valley,  or  with  the  Snake  and  Nez  Perce'  Indians  on 
the  head  waters  of  the  Yellowstone.  With  the  nations  just  named  the  Crows  have  been 
at  peace  for  many  years,  and  also  with  the  Assiniboins  since  1850.  But  their  natural  and 
perpetual  enemies  are  the  Blackfeet  on  the  west  and  the  Dakotas  on  the  east,  with  both 
of  which  nations  they  have  kept  up  a  continual  warfare  from  time  immemorial. 

I  have  before  me  the  materials  for  an  extended  sketch  of  the  manners  and  customs,  toge 
ther  with  biographical  sketches  of  the  principal  chiefs  of  this  tribe,  but,  as  they  will  doubt 
less  appear  in  a  future  work  now  in  course  of  preparation,  I  will  close  with  a  brief  notice  of 
.  the  different  vocabularies  of  the  Crow  language  which  have  been  published  from  time  to  time. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  395 

The  first  one  ever  taken,  so  far  as  I  can  learn,  was  published  in  "  Long's  Expedition  to 
the  Rocky  Mountains,"  and  consists  of  about  thirty  words.  In  the  "  Reise  in  das  Junere 
Nord  Amerikas,  in  1832-1834,"  Vol.  II,  Prince  Neuwied  gives  us  twenty  words.  Mr. 
Gallatin  also  obtained  brief  but  excellent  vocabularies  from  Mr.  Kenneth  Mackenzie,  who 
Avas  for  many  years  superintendent  of  Fort  Union,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone. 
In  Vol.  Ill  of  Schoolcraft,  twenty-two  words  are  compared  with  the  Minnitaree.  No 
idea,  however,  has  ever  been  given  in  regard  to  the  grammatical  structure  of  the  Aub-sa'- 
ro-ke  or  Crow  language.  The  following  vocabulary  and  grammatical  sketch  I  obtained 
from  the  Crows,  with  the  aid  of  an  intelligent  Scotch  trader,  Mr.  Robert  Meldrum,  who 
has  lived  thirty-three  years  with  that  tribe  and  speaks  the  language  with  the  fluency  of  a 
native.  I  was  also  very  much  aided  by  a  MS.  vocabulary  of  over  a  thousand  words,  ob 
tained  by  Rev.  Mr.  Brauninger,  a  Lutheran  missionary  among  the  Crows  during  the 
years  1859  and  1860,  who  was  killed  by  a  wandering  war-party  of  Dakotas  in  the 
valley  of  Powder  River  during  the  summer  of  1860. 

REMARKS   ON    THE   GRAMMATICAL   STRUCTURE   OF   THE   AUB-SA'-RO-KE   OR   CROW   LANGUAGE. 

I.     NOUNS. 

1.  As  a  general  rule,  no  change  occurs  in  the  termination  of  nouns  to  indicate  number 
or  case.    There  are  a  Ww  exceptions  to  this  rule,  however,  as,  it-si'-ri,  a  horse,  it-si'-ru,  horses ; 
da-ka'-ka,  a  bird,  da-ka'-ku,  birds. 

2.  No  change  is  made  in  the  termination  of  nouns  to  indicate  gender,  but  different 
words  are  used  for  male  and  female ;  as,  di'-ro-pe,  a  bull ;  bi-shi'-e,  a  cow ;  bat'-si,  a  man ;  mi'-a, 
or,  mi-a-kat'-e,  a  woman. 

II.    ADJECTIVES. 

3.  Adjectives  follow  the  nouns  which  they  qualify ;  as,  it-si'-ri-ma-ni-tum'-a-kat,  a  gentle 
horse  ;  mi'-a-ha-bu'-ro-ka,  a  virtuous  woman. 

4.  Sometimes  the  adjective  assumes  the  plural  termination ;  as,  it-si'-ri-ship-it'-uk,  black 
horses  ;  mi-ship-it'-uk,  black  rocks. 

5.  The  idea  of  comparison  is  expressed  in  the  following  graduated  form  ;  as,  it'-si,  good ; 
it-sc'-e-shek,  better ;  it-se'-bat-sac',  very  good,  or  powerful  good ;  ka-wi',  bad ;  ka-wi-ka'-to,  a  little 
bad ;  ka-wi'-e-shek,  quite  bad,  or  worse ;  ka-wi'-a-bat-sac',  worst,  or  exceedingly  bad ;   bat-sac', 
strong,  or  powerful ;  a-ha6'-kat,  a  little  ;  i-a'-kat,  very  small ;  i-san-ic'-kat,  a  little  larger  ;  i-sa'-e-slu-k, 
larger  than  the  last ;  i-sa'-bat-sa6',  very  large. 

6.  Wherever  adjectives  or  nouns  are  used  as  verbs,  they  are  conjugated  like  verbs ;  as, 
hin-i-ct'-dek,    healthy,  or  well :    mi'-hin-i-et-dCk,  I  am  well,  &C. 

7.  The  cardinal  numerals  are  as  follows : 


396 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


one,  ha-mat.' 

two,  nop. 

three,  naiu. 

four,  shop. 

five,  tsih'-op. 

six,  a-ka'-mak. 

seven,  lia'-pu-a. 

eight,  no'-pa-pe. 

nine,  a-ma'-ta-pe. 

ten,  pi-ra-ka'. 

eleven,  pi-ra-ka'-ma-ta. 

twelve,  pi-rak'-nop. 

thirteen,  pi-rak'-naru. 

fourteen,  pi-rak'-shop. 

fifteen,  pi-rak'-tsili -op. 

sixteen,  pi-rak-a'-mak. 

seventeen,  pi-rak'-sah-pu'-ak. 

eighteen,  pi-rak-no'-pa-pili'-tc. 

nineteen,  pi-rak'-a-ma'-ta-pil'i'-te. 

twenty,  no-pa-pi'-ra-ka. 

twenty-one,  no'-pa-pi'-ra-ka'-ali'-pa-mat-kat. 

twenty-two,  no'-pa-pi-ra-ka'-ah-pi-no'-pa. 

twenty-three,  no'-pa-pi-ra-ka'-ah'-pi-na'-mo. 


twenty-four,  no'-pa-pi-ra-ka'-ali'-pi-shop. 

twenty-five,  no'-pa-pi-ra-ka-ah'-pi-tsih'-op. 

twenty-six,  no'-pa-pi-ra-ka'-ali-pa-ka'-mak. 

twenty-seven,  no'-pa-pi-ra-ka'-ah-pi-sa-pu'-a. 

twenty-eight,  no'-pa-pi-ra-ka'-ah-pi-no-pa'-pi. 

twenty-nine,  no'-pa-pi-ra-ka'-ah-pi-ma-ta'-pe. 

tliirty,  na'-ma-pi-ra-ka'. 

forty,  sho'-pa-pi-ra-ka'. 

fifty,  tsili'-a-pi-ra-ka'. 

sixty,  a-ka'-ma-pi-ra-ka'. 

seventy,  ha'-pu-pi-ra-ka'. 

eighty,  no'-pa-pe-a-pi-ra-ka'. 

ninety,  a-ma'-ta-pe-pi-ra-ka'. 

one  hundred,  pi-ra-ka-sa'. 

two  hundred,  no'-pa-pi-ra-ka-sa'. 

three  hundred,  na'-ma-pi-ra-ka-sa'. 

four  hundred,  sho'-pa-pi-ra-ka-sa'. 

five  hundred,  tsili'-o-pi-ra-ka-sa'. 

six  hundred,  a-ka'-ma-pi-ra-ka-sa'. 

seven  hundred,  lia'-pu-pi-ra-ka-sa'. 

eiglit  hundred,  no'-pa-pe-a-pi-ra-ka-sa'. 

nine  hundred,  a-ma'-ta-pejai-ra-ka-sa'. 

one  thousand,  pi-ra-ka-sa'-^-ra-ka'. 


The  Aub-sa'-ro-ke,  or  Crows,  like  all  the  Indians  with  whom  I  am  acquainted,  use  their 
fingers  in  counting,  bending  them  down  temporarily  against  the  inside  of  the  hand  as 
they  proceed,  until  they  reach  ten,  when  one  finger  is  allowed  to  remain  down.  They  do 
not  usually  count  higher  than  a  thousand,  as  they  say  honest  people  have  no  use  for  larger 
numerals;  ali'-pi,  means  added  to,  as  20  +  1  =  21. 

8.  There  are  also,  though  rarely  in  use,  numerals  of  the  adverbial  form ;  as,  a-ma-tak', 
once ;  en-e-nom'-pe,  twice,  a  second  time. 

III.   ADVERBS. 

9.  Adverbs  precede  the  words  which  they  qualify  ;  as,  a-ma-ta'-ah'-pik,  I  shot  it  only  once  ; 
i-uk-us'-na-ra,  go  there. 

IV.  PREPOSITIONS. 

10.  Prepositions  follow  the  nouns  which  they  govern ;  as,  mo-na-ke'-da,  up  a  tree ;  niin-mo- 
in'-a,  in  the  water ;  shi-cY-ke-da,  up  a  hill ;  shic-bu-uk'-i-sa,  down  a  hill ;   min-a-sa',  by  the  shore  ; 
a-she'-a-ke'-da,  on  the  top  of  the  house ;  a-she-mo'-na,  inside  of  a  lodge. 

V.  CONJUNCTIONS. 

11.  Conjunctions  iisually  follow  the  nouns  which  they  connect;  as,  a-pe',  and;    ('i'-ro-pe-bi- 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  397 

shi'-a-po',  bulls  and  cows ;  da-ka'-ka-na-ka-a'-pa,  the  bird  and  its  young.  Sometimes  the  con 
junction  is  repeated  after  both  nouns;  as,  ci'-ro-pe-ho-it-si'-ri-ho,  a  bull  or  a  horse;  uli-ho',  it  is 
either  the  one  or  the  other. 

VI.    INTERJECTIONS. 

12.  There  are  but  few  interjections;  as,  ha-hi'-a!  halloo  there!  to  call  to  one  at  a  dis 
tance  ;    di-du'-ka-za !  hurrah !  to  one  only ;    di-du-ka-za'-ra !    hurrah,  my  boys !  a  common  word 
used  in  the  act  of  fighting ;  ho !  come !  nos-ha'-ra !  get  out !   nah'-a-ra !  go  away ! 

VII.    PRONOUNS. 

13.  Pronouns  are  of  two  kinds,  the  simple  and  the  fragment  pronoun.     The  simple 
pronouns  are  complete  in  themselves ;  the  fragment-pronoun  is  found  only  in  connection 
with  other  words.     The  simple  personal  pronouns  are, 

bi,  I.  bi'-rud,  we.  bi'-ru,  us. 

di,  thou.  di'-rud,  you.  di'-ru,  you. 

i,  he.  i'-rQd,  they.  i'-ru,  them. 

14.  The  possessive  personal  pronouns  are  declined  in  the  following  manner: 

AFFIRI^TIVELY.  b'i-ru'-duk,  it  was  ours, 

bi-bek',  it  is  mine.  di-du'-duk,  it  was  yours, 

di-dek',  it  is  thine.  i-du'-duk,  it  was  theirs, 
i-dek',  it  is  his. 

bi-ru'-dak,  it  is  ours.  HXJATITEIT. 

di-ru'-dak,  it  is  yours.  bi-be'-sa'  'li  is  not  raine' 

i-ru'-dak,  it  is  theirs.  di-de'-sa>  U  is  not  thine' 

i-de'-sak,  it  is  not  his. 

bi-di'-duk,  it  was  mine.  bi-ru-.be'- sa,  it  is  ours, 

di-di'-duk,  it  was  thine.  di-ru-de'-sa,  it  is  yours, 

i-di'-duk,  it  was  his.  ko-de'-sak,  it  is  theirs. 

15.  The  fragment-pronouns  are  used  in  conjugating  verbs  and  declining  nouns,  and  are 
placed  at  the  beginning,  in  the  middle,  and  sometimes  at  the  end  of  the  word,  as  the  form 
of  the  noun  or  verb  may  seem  to  require.     Those  pronouns  denoting  possession  are 
attached  to  all  nouns  which  represent  objects  of  ownership.     The  following  illustrations 
will  explain  themselves  without  further  remark.     Changes  of  vowels  occur  according  to 
the  form  of  the  word  or  particular  vowel  with  which  they  stand  connected. 

ini-nup'-he,  my  father.  ba-din'-a,  my  husband, 

ni-nup'-lie,  thy  father.  da-cin'-a,  thy  husband, 

i-nup'-he,  his  father.  is-6in'-a,  her  husband. 


398  ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 

ma-nak'-mi-n,  my  daughter.  mu'-u,  my  wife. 

na-nak'-rui-a,  thy  daughter.  nu'-a,  thy  wife, 

ko-nak'-mi-a,  his  daughter.      •  u'-a,  his  wife. 

ba-ku'-pe,  ray  brother.  , , , 

J  ma-nak  -ba-tse,  my  son. 

da-ku'-pe,  thy  brother.  na-nak'-ba-tse,  thy  son. 

ko-a-ku'-pe,  his  brother.  ko-nak'-ba-tse^his  son. 

ma-shu'-a,  my  head. 

na-shu'-a,  thy  head.  ba-smi'-a,  my  sister. 

i-shu'-a,  his  head.  da-smi'-a,  thy  sister. 

ko-i-siui'-a,  his  sister. 
bi-sas'-ku,  my  horses. 

diW-ku,  thy  horses.  bas-ba'-ze,  n,y  boat. 

i-sas'-ku,  his  horses.  das-da'-ze,  thy  boat, 

bi-ru-ba-sas'-kuk,  our  horses.  is-ba'-fe,  his  boat, 
di-ru-di-sas'-kuk,  your  horses. 

i-ru-i-sas'-kuk,  their  horses. 

mi-ba-rut'-shik,  I  have  got  good  sense. 

ba-sali'-e,  my  mother.  a-mu'-kak,  I  saw  or  have  seen, 

da-sah'-e,  thy  mother.  i-rud'-mi-ic'-ish-Ck,  they  love  me. 

i-sah'-e,  his  mother.  bet-dis-ic'-a-da,  you  love  each  other. 

16.  The  adjective-pronouns  are  quite  numerous : 

First,  distributive,  as,  ko'-ta,  each,  every,  or  all ;  bi-rup'-tse-pi'-ra-ka-ko'-ta,  each  one  ten  charges 
of  powder  j  ma-e-ha',  neither,  or  something  else. 

Second,  demonstrative,  as,  hin-e',  this  or  that ;  hin-e-ma-nu'-a,  this  object  or  thing ;  hi-ded, 
these ;  hi-ded-bi-ruli'-pa-ke,  these  persons. 

Third,  interrogatives,  as,  sap,  or  sa'-pa,  what  I  sa-pe',  who,  or  who  is  it  1  sap'-te,  why,  or  why 
is  it  1  sho  or  sho'-rak,  where,  or  where  is  it  1 

VIII.    VERBS. 

17.  (1.)  In  Aub-sa'-ro-ke  verbs,  there  are  three  moods,  indicative,  imperative,  and  infini 
tive. 

(2.)  Three  tenses,  past,  present,  and  future. 

(3.)  Two  numbers,  singular  and  plural.     No  dual  form  has  as  yet  been  observed. 
The  following  list  of  forms,  imperfect  as  it  is,  will  convey  some  idea  of  the  character  of 
the  conjugation  of  the  verbs  in  this  language. 

ba-shik',  I  am  dead.  ka-re-suk',  they  are  dead, 

sa-hik',  thou  art  dead.  sa-ha'-kekr  to  die,  or  it  is  dead, 

ka-rish'-e,  he  is  dead.  sa-match'-e  (imp.),  die. 
ba-sulc',  we  are  dead. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


399 


nia-ne'-sliik,  I  am  hungry, 
na-ne'-shik,  thou  art  hungry, 
a-ne'-shik,  he  is  hungry, 
ma-ne-shis'-a,  I  am  not  hungry, 
na-ne-shis'-a,  thou  art  not  hungry, 
a-ne-shis'-a,  he  is  not  hungry, 
ma-ne-shi'-ink,  I  will  be  hungry, 
na-ne-shi'-ink,  thou  wilt  be  hungry, 
a-ne-shi'-ink,  he  will  be  hungry. 

bi-ba-ku6'-ik,  I  am  thirsty, 
di-da-kuc'-ik,  thou  art  thirsty, 
a-kuc'-ik,  he  is  thirsty. 
bi-ba-ku6'-is-a,  I  am  not  thirsty. 
di-da-ku6'-is-a,  thou  art  not  thirsty. 
a-ku6'-is-a,  he  is  not  thirsty. 

mi-a-pak',  I  am  cold, 
ni-a-pak',  thou  art  cold, 
i-a-pak',  he  is  cold, 
bud-e-a-pak',  we  are  cold, 
i-ru'-da-pak',  they  are  cold, 
mi-a-pa-sak',  I  am  not  cold, 
ni-a-pa-sak',  thou  art  not  cold, 
i-a-pa-sak',  he  is  not  cold, 
bud-e-a-pa-sak',  we  are  not  cold, 
i-ru'-da-pa-sak',  they  are  not  cold. 

ba-bu'-she,  I  eat,  or  am  eating, 
ba-du'-she,  thou  eatest,  or  art  eating, 
ba-bush'-mik,  I  will  eat. 
ba-dush'-mlk,  thou  wilt  eat. 
ba-de-dush'-nik,  wilt  thou  eat? 
ba-biish-is-a'-nik,  I  will  not  eat. 
kun-ba-bu'-she,  I  am  done  eating, 
kun-ba-du'-she,  thou  art  done  eating, 
ba-de-dush'-kom-tiak,  art  thou  done  eating  ? 
kun-ba-bush'-ko-mak,  I  am  done  eating, 
nam-ba-bush'-mok  (imp.))  let  us  eat. 
du'-she  (imp.  sing.),  eat. 
ba-ru-sa'-ra  (imp.  pi.),  eat. 

• 

ba-di6'-ik,  I  strike, 
da-dic'-ik,  thou  dost  strike. 

VOL.  XII. — 51 


i-di6'-ik,  he  strikes, 
bi-ded'-ba-did'-ik,  I  myself  strike. 
di-ded'-da-di6'-ik,  thou  thyself  dost  strike, 
i-de-dic'-ik,  he  himself  strikes, 
bi-ric'-ik,  I  will  strike, 
di-ric'-ik,  thou  wilt  strike. 
i-ri6'-ik,  he  will  strike, 
bi-ded'-ba-ric'-ik,  I  myself  will  strike. 
di-ded'-da-ri6'-ik,  thou  thyself  wilt  strike, 
i-ded'-a-ric'-ik,  he  himself  will  strike, 
it-a-ba-dit'-nak,  I  am  going  to  strike. 

bi-6z'-ik,  I  am  burnt. 
di-62'-ik,  thou  art  burnt. 
i-oi'-ik,  he  is  burnt, 
bi-ded-ash'-tak,  I  myself  burnt  them, 
di-ded-ash'-tak,  thou  thyself  didst  burn  them. 

tui-huui-ish'-ik,  I  am  sleepy, 
ni-hum-ish'-ik,  thou  art  sleepy, 
hin-um-ish'-ik,  he  is  sleepy. 

ba-rek',  I  go. 

ba-re-mi'-a-mak',  I  would  like  to  go. 

ba-re-mi'-ink,  I  shall  go,  or  shall  I  go. 

ba-re-sa'-mlk,  I  will  not  go. 

ba-re'-mlk,  I  will  go. 

da-de'-nik,  thou  wilt  go. 

de-sa'  (imp.),  do  not  go. 

na-ma'-ra  (imp.),  go,  all  of  you. 

di-tut'-da  (imp.),  you  go  alone. 

da  (imp.),  go. 

mi-ne-ki'-a  (imp.),  let  me  go. 

ba-she'-6ik,  1  mashed  it. 
de-she'-cik,  thou  didst  mash  it. 
i-she'-cik,  he  mashed  it. 
bi-rud'-ba-she'-6ik,  we  mashed  it. 
i-rud'-a-she'-cik,  they  mashed  it. 

ma-ma'-nik,  I  did  shoot, 
bi-ma'-nik,  he  shot  me. 
di-ma'-nik,  he  shot  you. 
bi-ru-ma'-nik,  he  shot  us. 


400 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


bi-pu-a'-mlk,  I  will  shoot. 
ma-di-pu-a'-nrik,  I  will  shoot  yon. 
di-pu'-a-ka'-ni,  thou  mayst  shoot. 

ba-de-dush'-ni-shik,  dost  thou  want  to  eat? 
ba-bush'-mi-shik,  I  want  to  eat. 
nii-uh-push'-ik,   I   am    full,  i.  e.,  I  have   eaten 
enough. 

mi-ie'-ish-ek,  I  am  loved. 
ni-i6'-ish-ek,  thou  art  loved. 
ko-i6'-ish-ek,  he  is  loved. 
mi-6e'-muc-ish'-e,  I  love  myself. 
nic-e'-nuc-ish'-e,  thou  dost  love  thyself. 
a-mu6-ish'-ek,  I  did  love, 
a-muc-ish'-e-sak,  I  do  not  love. 
it-a-a-mu6-ish'-e-nak,  I  am  about  to  love, 
a-muc-is'-a-mek,  I  will  not  love, 
bud-e-its'-ish-ek,  thou  lovest  us. 
ni-e-muc-ish'-ek,  I  love  you. 
mi-its-ish'-e-ki-a  (imp.),  let  me  love. 
i<5-is-sa'-ra  (imp.),  love, 
mi-ic-ish'-e  (imp.),  love  me. 

bu-ru-pi'-uk,  I  hate, 
du-ru-pi'-uk,  thou  hatest. 
i-ru-pi'-uk,  he  hates, 
bat-bu'-ru-pi'-uk,  we  hate  each  other, 
bu-ru-pi'-a-mink,  I  will  hate, 
du-ru-pi'-a-mink,  thou  wilt  hate, 
i-ru-pi'-a-mink,  he  will  hate, 
ni-bu'-ru-pi'-uk,  I  hate  you. 

mi-hin'-i-et'-dek,  I  am  well, 
di-hin'-i-et'-dek,  thou  art  well, 
hin'-i-et'-dek,  he  is  well, 
bud-e-hin'-i-et'-dek,  we  are  well. 

a-ma'-ka,  I  see. 
a-da'-ka,  thou  seest. 
i'-ka,  he  sees. 
a-ma'-ku,  we  see. 
a-da'-ku,  you  see. 
i'-ku,  they  see. 


a-mak-is'-ak,  I  do  not  see. 
a-dak-is'-ak,  thou  dost  not  see. 
i-kis'-ak,  he  does  not  see. 
a-na'-ka,  do  you  see. 

i-ki'-a  (imp.),  look  at. 

mi-hu'-shik,  I  run. 
di-hu'-shik,  thou  dost  run. 
hu'-shik,  he  or  it  runs, 
mi-ho'-suk,  we  run. 
di-ho'-suk,  you  run. 
ho'-suk,  they  run. 
ka'-na  (imp.),  run  away. 

aub-sa'-ro-ke-nii-ic'-ish-ek,  I  am  loved  by  the  Crows, 
ish'-mlk  (participle),  drinking, 
bi-min-ish'-mi-mlk,  I  am  drinking  water 
ba-hi-ri'-pa-sa,  there  is  no  scarcity. 
bi-dup-ish'-e,  or  bi-dup'-det,  there  are  no  beaver, 
a-ma-su-a-di-e'-ba-mik,  I  am  going  to  build  a  fort, 
bat-se'-da-de,  have  you  been  out  hunting? 
sap'-du  ?  what  did  you  kill  ? 
mi'-dak-pe-sak,  if  you  do  not  kill  me. 
di-bak'-pe-mik,  I  will  kill  you. 

bi-ruh-pa'-ke-ba-si6'-e-bak,  •) 

}•  I  love  the  people, 
bi-ruli -pa  -ke-a-muc-ish  -ek,  ) 

i-e-ke'-be,  to  wear. 

i-a'-ra  (imp.),  wear  that  as  a  blanket, 
da-hin'-e-et-a'-ra  (imp.),  go  and  do  it. 
ba-a-ta'-na,  I  steal, 
a-ta'-na,  it  steals. 

ba-a-tan'-mi-uk,  I  would  like  to  steal. 
do-tu6'-ik,  you  bite  it. 
bi-ru-tuc'-ik,  he  bites  us. 
bo-ro-ta'-hek,  I  break  it  in  two. 
do-ta'-hek.  you  break  it  in  two. 
hu-a'-mac,  to  come  and  sit  down. 
bi-dC'd-ba-da'-mac,  we  come  and  sit  down, 
a-muc-ish-im-ink'-pak,  I  think  I  love, 
a-uc-ish'-e-tats,  you  think  you  love. 
min-e-ska'-pik,  he  fell  into  the  water, 
ship-i-a-sic',  he  threw  it  into  the  mud. 
ship-i'-a-ko-sic',  it  was  thrown  into  the  mud. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


401 


bi-de'-sic",  I  threw  it  in  the  fire, 
a-she-ku'-kak,  he  is  in  the  village, 
bat-sali'-puk-na-ra  (imp.),  go  all  together, 
bat-sa-buli'-me-muk  (imp.),  let  us  all  go  together, 
i-co-ken'-i-cek,  he  has  whitened  himself  with  clay. 


ba-ret-in-e'-pac,  I  think  not. 
ba-re-ta'-ra  (imp.),  let  it  not  be. 
ba-ra-ta'-rik,  it  shall  not  be. 
bi-nop'-ka-ti'-a-ma-ku,  we  all  see  two  of  them. 


18.  There  are  certain  words  used  only  by  the  women  and  children;  as,  i'-ka,  attention, 
used  when  a  woman  calls  to  her  friend  ;  hi'-na,  comrade  or  companion ;  ba-sa'-ka,  mother ; 
a  little  girl  addresses  her  mother  as  ba-sa'-ka,  and  a  little  boy  his  father  as,  ali'-c ;  ba-sa'-na, 
older  brother ;  ba-sa'-kat,  older  sister ;  ba-so'-ka,  younger  sister. 


19. 


PHRASES   AND   SENTENCES. 


ba'-ze     is-a-kat'-a     cT-a-ka-ta     min'-a-ta    da-ka'-puk 
canoe     beautiful         white        on  water         floats 
bu'-uk   i-sa'-dek. 
goes        down. 

A  beautiful  canoe  floats  on  the  water,  or  goes  down 
the  stream. 

ba-hu'-ra     bat-sa'-da  e'-kus  na-na'-mek. 

blackbird        great  the  other  side  flies. 

A  great  blackbird  flies  to  the  other  side. 

ah' -pa-nali'-e   a-she'  a-ho'  wai-sa6'. 

in  the  sky     house   a  great  many   very  large. 
In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions. 

ba-sa-pe'    ah-i-ta'   ka-wi'. 
moccasins     wet        bad. 
Wet  moccasins  arc  bad. 

ah'-pa-nah'-e      a-she'    ka-wi'   ka-wi-ka-wi-ti'-a-sa. 
in  the  heavens   house      bad       bad    bad     very. 
In  the  heavens  are  houses,  bad,  bad,  very  bad. 

i-sa'-ka-wat'-e  ali-pa-nali'-e  he'-rc-re. 
Great  Spirit  heavens  among. 
The  Great  Spirit  is  among  the  heavens. 

bi-ruli-pa'-ke       ta-pi'-ok  pat-pa-tsi'-uk. 

a  person        has  been  killed      in  the  war. 
A  person  has  been  killed  in  the  war. 

ali-pa-nah'-e      a-she'   a-mah'-e          ak-tsi'-se. 
in  the  heavens    lodge       sky       on  the  other  side. 
In  the  heavens,  in  the  lodges  on  the  other  side  of  the 
sky. 


it-si'-re    a-huk'   bi-she'      a-ho'      wat-sa6'. 
horses    plenty   buffalo    a  heap   very  great. 
A  plenty  of  horses,  and  a  very  great  abundance  of 
buffalo. 

A  Prayer  to  tJie  Great  Spirit. 

Mi   wa-tsesh'-yat  ka-wi'    mi   mba-tse'-tse-rik   it-si'-re 
I  am  poor ;  that  is  bad ;  make  me  a  chief;  give  me 

a-ho'  be'-mi  ba-sap'-ka-te  it-sili-at'-te-be  i-mi-a'-wa.    It-si'- 
a  plenty  of  horses,  give  me  fine  clothing.     I  ask  for  good 

re  it-si-ka'-ta  ma-ka'-ku  shi'-a-kat  a-she'-i-sa'  be-i-mi'-a- 
spottcd  horses ;  give  me  a  large  tent,  give  me  a  great 

wa  it-si'-re  a-ho'  be-i-mi'-a-mo  it-si'-re  it-sili-a'  a-ta'-nu-a 
many  horses ;  let  me  steal  fine  horses ;  grant  it  to  me. 

be-i-mi'-ma.    O-mat-ma-nali'-e  gu-ru-tats  be-mili'  mi-a  it- 
Give  me  guns  by  cheating;  give  me  a  beautiful  woman; 

si-ka'-ta  a-pah'-pa-mili  bi-shi'-a-tc-kat.     Fi'-a  na-mo'  ba'- 

bring  the  buffalo  close  by.      No  deep  snow ;    a   little 

• 

ret  pi'-a  h'ep'-kat  it-si'-ka  ish-te-pit'-e  a-tc-kat'-ham  ba- 
snow  is  good.     Give  me  Blackfeet  to  kill  or  to  die,  close 

ba'-mih  h'a-h'u'-a.     Pa-pe-mih'  bi-ruh'-pa-ke  su'-a  ka-ra- 
by,   all   together.     Stop   the   people   from   dying,  it  is 

ko'-me-o   it-sili';    ma-nah'-u-a   sap'-ka-te-e-i-ru'-ke   it-si- 
good;    instruments  for  amusement,    blankets   too;    fine 

ka'-ta   tu'-shi  bi-ruli'-pa-ke  ba'-ka  ba-kak-shi'-at  bi-she' 
meat  to  eat;  give  the  people  altogether  a  plenty  of  fine 

it-si-ka'-ta  a-huk'  tu'-sbi  a-huk'. 
buffalo,  and  plenty  to  eat. 


402 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 


Mi-nup'-lie   ak-ma-ku'-ko    a-ma'-ca;    do-lia'-ra    da-za-      ku'-a  ku-re-shit'  bud-e-ku'-a-ra  e-rup-a'-re  bi'-rud  aup- 
My  Father         above  resides  ;     let  thy  name  be      give 

a'-she  a-mis'-ce  ba-ka'-wi  a-ku'-sa-ni  ku-ru'-tu  a-mc'  it- 
6ik';    is-a-me-hu-ka'-ra  ;     a-na-mis'-6e  ko-mik'-a-ra   ma- 

good  ;  let  thy  country  come  ;   thy  will   let  be  done  above      ^  ^ 

ku'-ko  a-hin'-e  a-ine.ko-mik';       hin'-e  ma'-pc  e-bud'-e 
on  high  as  here  on  earth  is  done  ;  this      day        food 

NAMES   OF   TRIBES,    CHIEFS,   ETC. 


ba.ko^_te  ka.ra.ko.mi'.sa. 
forever'        forcver>      let  it  be  done. 

Ka-ra-ko'-mik.    May  it  be  so. 


aub-sa'-ro-ke,  the  Crows,  the  original  people. 

da-ko'-ta  or  ma-ko'-ta,  the  Sioux,  or  Dakotas  of  the 
Missouri. 

i-sonsh'-pu-she,  the  Shyennes:  meaning  undetermined. 

ba-ra-shiip'-gi-o,  Dakotas  or  Sioux  :  meaning  undeter 
mined. 

bik-ta'-sa-te-tu'-se, 

a-shi-ap'-ka-wi, 

bik-ta'-she,  and  sho'-sho-ni,  Grass  lodges  or  Snakes. 

a-ra'-po-ho  or  -hose,  the  Arapohos. 

tse'-twa-tse,  tuft  of  hair. 

u-ka'-she  (uk,  earth,  a'-she,  a  house),  earth  houses. 

a-shu'-e-ka-pe,  the  Flat-heads. 

a-pu-pe',  to  paddle,  paddles. 

ak-min'-e-shu'-me,  the  tribe  that  use  canoes. 


|-  very  bad  lodges. 


a-pi'-mi-she,  people  having  beards. 

ish-te-pit'-e,  the  Blackfeet. 

kam'-nc,  Blood  Indians. 

i-c-wat-se'  (i'-e,  mouth,  wat-se',  men),  mouth  men. 

a-ma'-te-wat-se',  iron  men. 

a-me-she'  (a' -me,  earth,  a-she',  a  house),  people  who 

live  in  earth  houses,  Gros  Yentrcs  of  Missouri, 

Minnitarees. 
a-pan-to'-pse,  Arickaras. 
as-a-ka-shi,  the  Mandans. 
bat-se'-e-a-ka6,  Gray  chief, 
bi-ruli'-us,  the  Ice. 
a-ra-cu'-ra-sash,  the  Big  Robber, 
au-ma-ha'-be-cl'-se,  Mountain  Tail. 


CHAPTER     XVII. 

VOCABULARY   OF   THE   AUB-SA'-RO-KE,   OR   CROW   LANGUAGE. 


A. 

abdomen,  be'-re-a-reli',  sickness  in  the  abdomen, 
abominable,  ban-di-shi'-i-nit,  horrible,  abominable. 
above,  ma-ku'-ku-re. 

ma-ko'-ko,  above,  upward,  in  the  sky. 

a'-ga-tsi-sa'-re, 

ma'-gu-gu-re, 
absent,  a-tsi'-sak,  away. 

i-ha', 


re,   ) 

[•  above,  over,  uppermost, 
e,     ) 


i-ba,         ) 

[•  away,  not  here, 
i-ha-kuk,  ) 


abuse,  ban'-dac,  to  abuse,  to  misuse. 

accompany,  bat-sah'-pak,  to  accompany,  to  go  together. 


ache,  a-rek', 


-U, 


to  feel  pain. 


active,  in-i-she'-tuk. 

added  to,  ali-pe'-ta,  and  ali-pe',  or  ali-pi'. 
advanced,  i'-se-ko,  a  long  time,  advanced  in  age. 
afar  off,  a-ma-te'. 

a-ma-te'-me'-mok,  to  go  afar  off  together. 
•affable,  ba-e-de'-te,  affable,  courteous. 
afraid,  ta'-sash, 

ta  -sa-si-o, 

tsi'-tik,  to  be  afraid,  as  of  enemies. 
after,  in-sa-ku'-sa,  after  a  while. 


to  be  afraid. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


403 


ago,  ba-ku'-ske,  long  ago. 

i-sko'-ka-e-shi'-e-ka-she,  a  long  ago. 
agriculture,  a-ra'-cik,  tilling  the  ground. 
aid,  at-bak',  to  aid,  to  assist. 

aim,  mish-cush'-niin,  to  take  aim  at  anything,  to  take 
sight  with  a  gun. 

ma-is-cu'-se,  to  aim  at  anything, 
alder,  ma-nis'-ce,  white  alder. 
alike,  ba-tsi-cek',  two  things  alike,  it  is  alike. 
all,  ko'-ta,  the  whole. 

a-a-tsi'-e-cek,  all  around,  about, 
alone,  tats'-yat. 

ha-ma'-ta-tats-kat,  to    be   alone,   or    anything 

standing  alone. 

altogether,  ha-Tm'-e-ka-se,  and  ba-kak'-she. 
amorous,  to'-ka-sak. 
and,  a-pe'. 

ankle,  at-sa'-ra-bi-she. 
annoy,  is-is-dis-ce-shi'-e,  to  annoy  one. 
annually,  a-me-shi'-i-she,  yearly. 

a-me-tsu'-se,  semi-annually. 
arm,  ba-ro-pa'-ko-ba-re,  the  right  arm. 
ba-rah -tsi'-sko-ba-re,  the  left  arm. 

da-ca-mu'-a,  hollow  of  the  armpit, 
arrow,  a-nu'-e-te. 

.ba-sa'-e,      •> 

[•    an  arrow-point, 
ma-sa  -e,     J 

ba-sa'-e-wa-pah '-mill,  to  cut  off  an  arrow-point, 
ba-rak'-she,  arrow-stick,  wood  part  of  an  arrow. 


a-no-mut'-a-i'-sha,  •) 

•  ,  i          >  a  qui 
ma-rc-wa-is  -ko,      ) 


quiver  for  arrows. 


ash,  min-e'-pit-e,  the  white  ash. 

ask,  ma-ku',          ) 

}•    to  ask,  to  beg. 
ha-ma-ku'-c,   j 

mi'-e-ba6-u'-e-ma-ku',  to  ask  a  wonjan  for  an  awl. 
assist,  a-rali-di'-a-hu,  to  assist, 
autumn,  ba-se'. 

avoid,  ti'-a-su,  to  avoid,  to  cease  from  doing, 
awl,  ba-tsu'-c,  a  sewing  awl. 

ba-tsu'-e-ta-rc,  an  awl  blade. 
axe,  ma-ci'-pe. 


B. 


back,  shu'-a. 


shu'-a-pu'-a,  a  sore  on  the  back  of  a  horse, 
backbone,  a-ruli'-a-ro. 
bad,  ka-wi'. 
ap-ka-wi', 


ap-ka-w!',   i 

>    very  bad. 
ti'-a-sa,       j 


a-ni-ka'-wi,  Bad  Pass  in  the  Kocky  Mountains. 
badger,  tsi-pa'-mu-ne. 
band,  tsili-ba-wa'-ik-tse,  a  band  of  Crows, 
bank,  ma-pe',  a  bluff,  bank, 
bark,  wa'-ak-she,  the  inner  juicy  bark  of  the  sweet 

cottonwood,  of  which  the  Indians  are  very  fond, 
bead,  ba-ro. 

ba-ro-pu'-she,  a  bunch  of  beads. 

teli'-at,"         i 

>  ash-colored  beads, 
ban-teli -at,   ) 

ba-sali'-ba-ro,  beads  on  moccasins, 
ba-sa'-tse-ba-ro,  beads  on  leggins. 
a'-shi-she,  yellow  beads, 
bear,  dali-pit-se',  a  grizzly  bear, 
dali-pit-soh'-e,  a  hog,  swine, 
dah-pit-seli'-ne-she,  a  kind  of  berry,  of  which 

bears  are  fond, 
beard,  mi'-e-tsi-e. 

mi'-e-tsi-e-wa-tse'-re-shu'-i-tse,    to    shave    the 

beard, 
mi'-e-tsi-e-wa-ku-rush'-tse,    to  pluck    out    the 

beard, 
beat,  wat-wu-ru'-6k,  to  beat  another. 

ba-rit'-mih,  to  beat  or  strike  any  one. 
bed,  o-ma'-6e,  a  coverlet  for  a  bed. 
before,  ishb-tsi'-sa-re. 
beggarly,  ba-ka'-ni-tuk. 

beginning,  hu-ku'-se,  at  the  beginning,  formerly, 
behind,  bish-tsi'-sa-re,  behind,  in  the  rear. 

hau'-ga-she,  to  be  behind, 
bell,  ba-te-bu'-e,  and  ba-te-wi'-e. 

ba-te-wi'-e-a-mu'-e,  a  bell-tongue. 
bellowing,  sah'-ik,  the  bellowing  of  bulls, 
belt,  mi-he'-ru-pde, 

mi-pe-tali'-e, 
bend,  a'-ra-bat'-sak,  to  bend. 

ta-ka'-ke-we,  to  bend  the  bow. 
bird,  da-ka'-ka,  birds  in  general. 

da-ka'-ki-sko-ci,  wild  turkey,  or  the  birds'  enemy. 


belt. 


404 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


to  bleed. 


da-kak-shu'-ak,  bluebird, 
da-ka-kim'-po-ka-te,  the  bird  whose  tail  rattles. 
da-kak-ci'-a,  red-headed  woodpecker, 
da-kak'-ba-de'-de-pe,  a  bat,  winged  mouse,  lips 

of  the  vagina. 

da-kak-is-<5i'-tse,  a  bird's  nest, 
tsi'-nah-da-ka'-ke,  a  feather, 
a-ma-sha'-is-da-ka'-ko-sha,  hay-bird.     Icterus. 
is-ka'-ce,  a  yellow  singing  bird, 
ba-hi'-ri,  blackbird. 
bitter,  ba-e-sali'-a-ba,  a  bitter  root. 
blanket,  bi-ka-sa'-pi,  and  ba-sa'-she. 

ba-sa'-she-hu'-a-ka-\ve,  give  me  the  blanket, 
bi-she-pit'-e,  a  dark  blue  blanket, 
bi-sho'-shi,  a  red  blanket, 
bi-shu'-e-ka-te,  a  light  blue  blanket, 
blister,  ba-tsih',  blisters  from  friction. 
blood,  i'-de. 

i-dln'-de,  vein, 
i'-de-e-tali'-e, 
i'-rih, 

a-hu'-a-nom'-pe,  mixed  blood,  a  half-breed. 
blue,  sho'-shu-kat. 
boat,  ba'-ze. 

ba'-fe-bi'-de,  a  fireboat,  steamboat, 
ba-^e'-aks-mok,  the  boats  are  crossing  the  river, 
boil,  a-tak'-e,  boils  on  any  part  of  the  body, 
bone,  tu'-shi-to-cV-se,  the  white  bones  lying  on  the 

prairie. 

hu-a-rek',  pains  in  the  bones, 
min-ok'-se,  large  mammoth  bones  in  the  West, 
du'-pe,  marrow-bones. 

book,  ba'-re-ma-ma-na-tse-i'-she,  a  writing  or  painting. 
boot,  rush'-te. 

rush'-te-a-wu'-e-mih,  to  pull  off  the  boots. 
borrow,  ba-ka'-nik,  I  borrow. 
bowel,  i-smu'-a,  the  internal  parts  of  an  animal. 

i-smu'-a-re,  any  bowel  disease, 
bowstring,  ma-nali'-e-ka-she-ali-c'. 
box-elder,  mish-pe'. 
boy,  ba-ko'-te,  and  shi-ki'-a. 

ba-i-c-ka'-te,  a  small  boy. 
brave,  bi-ruli-pa'-ka-ri'-ce,  a  warrior,  a  brave, 
bread,  bali'-a-wa,  and  bali'-a-ba,  bread  or  flour. 


to  break. 


{•  a  bri 


bridle  for  a  horse. 


bali-a-bu'-e-ri'-e-wa-mili,  kneading  dough, 
bali'-a-wa-ta-reli',  to  bake  bread. 
break,  deli-shi'-she, 
ta-huk', 
bu-ru-ta'-i,  to  break  off. 
breast,  buli-u'-e,  and  du-shu'-a. 
breath,  ku-di-ri'-ak,  to  breathe. 
breech-cloth,  ba-da-in'-ca-sa-ce,  and  ba-sa-shi'-ah-tsi. 
bridle,  ba-sa-shi'-ali-tsu'-me-tc, ' 

i-ali-tse'-o-ma'-te, 
bring,  o-ka'-be,  to  bring, 
o  (imp.),  bring. 

a-na'-ku,  to  bring,  as  a  message. 
broad,  shuli'-ak,  large,  broad. 
broken,  bu-ruli'-shisli',  broken,  it  is  broken. 

hu-dali'-shi-she,  a  bone  broken  in  any  other 

way  than  by  a  bullet, 
brother,  mi-ke',  an  elder  brother. 

ma-na-sha',  my  brother-in-law, 
brush,  bik-ta-sa-pi-a-ku-ru-ka'-tu-a,  a  clothes-brush. 
bud,  a-si'-rik,  a  bud  of  a  tree  or  flower, 
buffalo,  bi-she'. 

bi-she'-a,  a  cow  or  female  buffalo, 
bi-sheli'-tse,  a  white  buffalo, 
bi-she'-i'-ce,  buffalo  tracks. 
bug,  pa-re-a-pu'-she,  a  coleopterous  insect  about  the 

excrement  of  animals. 

bullet,  a-ro-pa-pa'-she'-a-huk,  a  great  quantity  of  bullets, 
burn,  a-ra'-peh,  it  burns. 

hu'-pa-mili,  to  burn  a  hole  in  wood  with  a  hot 

iron. 

burr,  ba'-ke,  a  sticking  burr,  of  the  Glycyrrhiza  lepi- 
dohi,  very  annoying  to  travellers,  by  clinging  to 
the  clothes. 
bush.,  bish-yali-tsi'-e. 

ak-bud-e-tsi'-she,  a  hawthorn  bush, 
button,  be-ro-sho'-ma-te,  and  o-muc'-e-cuh'-c. 
buy,  ma-e'-sce-be,  to  buy  anything. 

C. 

cactus,  i-fi-ri'-e-hi-e,  Opuntia, 

ba-sac',  the  pricking  of  the  spines  of  the  cactus. 
calf,  nah-up-ka'-te. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE    MISSOURI    VALLET. 


405 


call,  ta'-sash,  to  call. 

care,  ba-bu-sili'-i-se,  I  care  nothing  about  them. 

carry,  tsi'-ok,  to  carry. 

ba-6i'-ak,  I  carry  anything, 
carve,  i-dank'.' 

wa'-tats,  to  carve  or  cut. 

wa-tats'-e-rnih,  I  carve  or  cut. 
cat,  i-spi'-o-ha-she,  a  wild  cat. 

i-spi-i'-sa,  a  panther, 
cattle,  bi-she'-i-tsi'-re,  domestic  cattle, 
cedar,  Ip-tse-tsi'-lia-lie,  Juniperus,  running  cedar. 

min-ali'-pe,  the  upright  cedar. 

min-ali'-pe-bat-su'-e,  the  fruit  of  the  cedar. 

o-ma-ko'-ci-ru-e,  the  ground  cedar. 

o-ma-ko-ma'-na-ke,  kinnic-kinnic. 

min-ali'-pe-az-ka'-te,  Little  Cedar  River, 
chain,  i-tsi-ti'-e,  a  chain. 

challenge,  bat-si-eksh'-mi,  to  challenge  to  conflict, 
charge,  to-ka-ld'-shi-ke,  to  charge  a  gun. 
chase,  ko-mak',  to  give  up  the  chase, 
cheat,  tsu-se-a-tu'-se,  to  cheat. 
cheek,  i-se-ruli'-e. 
child,  na'-ke,  a  child,  any  young  animal. 

ma-na'-ke,  my  child. 

ma-na'-ke-lia-hu'-a,  all  my  children. 

i-san'-det,  a  step-child, 
chilliness,  a-pah'-te. 
chop,  de-puli'-e,  to  chop. 
clap,  ti'-shi,  to  clap  the  hands. 
claw,  i-tah'-pu-a,  the  claws  of  a  bear, 
clay,  o'-ke. 

o-ke-ci'-e,  white  clay, 
clean,  o-kin'-i-tuk,  to  clean. 

bah-u-ru-shi'-tsh,  to  clean  a  gun. 
clear,  sa'-shik,  and  ta'-shik. 

min-e-ta'-shik,  clear  water. 

min-e-pili'-tak,  clearly, 
clench,  bash-tih-nu-he',  to  clench  the  hand, 
close,  ali'-ta-kat,  near  at  hand,  close, 
cloth,  ba-sap'-ka-te,  any  kind  of  clothing, 
cloud,  a-pah'-e. 
coat,  mi'-ta-shi-ne. 

mi'-ta-shi-ne-a-mu'-ke,  a  vest  or  undercoat. 


ba-da-sho'-i-shi'-stc,  chief's  coat, 
ba-da-i-tash'-ne-hap-ka'-te,  an  Indian  shirt, 
cold,  ho-te-shi'-re,  and  tsi-ni'-ak. 
comb,  ma-ne-shu'-ge-ru-ga'-tse,  a  coarse  comb, 
mbe-ta-ni'-o,  a  fine  comb, 
ba-de-a-shu'-e-ku-ro-ha'-tse,   a    comb   made   of 

porcupine's  tail, 
come,  ho,  (imp.) 

hu'-be,  come  here,  in  speaking  to  a  child, 
hu-ka'-be,  come  here,  in  speaking  to  a  grown 

person. 

hu'-e  (imp.),  bring  it. 
hu-a-ma'-ka-mili,  come,  let  me  see. 
hu-a-mae',  to  come  and  sit  down, 
bo'-niek,  come  back. 
comrade,  min-e-pali'-e,  a  male  comrade. 
cook,  ti-o'-ka-wi, 


to  cook. 


ti-o -Ka-wi,   I 

ti-e'-ka-wi,   J 

bu-ruk',  to  cook  or  roast  meat, 
cord,  bi-shili'-pe,  a  rope  or  cord, 
corn,  ho-pa'-ste,  corn,  or  maize. 

nikt-ya'-pa;pa-she',  the  ear  of  corn  or  wheat. 

a-mu'-e,  a  grain  or  kernel  of  wheat  or  corn, 
count,  ma-ne-mik',  to  count, 
courageous,  ba-e'-tse-ret,  spirited,  brave, 
crack,  i-nu'-a,  a  crack  or  split, 
crippled,  man-dek'. 
crooked,  shi-shu'-pili,  not  straight. 
cross,  man-tu'-pah-e,  used  in  the  Catholic  worship, 
cruel,  ba-tah'-te. 
cup,  be-dali'-de-a. 

cure,  di-a-ma-kuh'-e,  to  cure  the  sick,  to  make  medi 
cine  for  the  sick. 
curlew,  o-hae'-ke,  long-bill, 
cut,  wa-pash'-tsu-mih,  to  cut  off. 
bash'-ki-o,  to  cut  off  the  neck. 

a-sa'-tu,     ") 

>   cutting  through  with  a  knife, 
a-sa-tsi,    J 

a-sat-mili',  I  cut  through  with  a  knife, 
a-me-ko'-wah-e,  to  cut  with  a  knife. 


a-pa-hu'-a, 
%  de-ci'-pc, 


>•   to  cut  with  an  axe. 
cry,  i'-bek,  to  cry. 


406 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 


D. 
dance,  bas-wat-si'-pe,  a  stick  with  numerous  figures  on 

it,  used  in  dancing, 
daughter,  ma-nak-mi'-a,  my*daughter. 
day,  ma'-pe. 
dead,  she-ek'. 

she-i-uk',  dying. 

ba-dali'-te,  to  be  in  the  agonies  of  death, 
a-mu-sa-ma'-niili,  to  bury  or  inter,  as  the  dead, 
deafness,  a-kuli '-de-tuk.. 
deep,  na'-mo,  deep,  as  water  or  snow. 
deer,  ol\'-bish-ke. 

-   oli'-bish-kat,  a  young  deer. 

oli'-a-te,  an  antelope. 
dependent,  mi-um'-i. 

die,  sa-ha'-kek,    ) 

\   to  die. 
ka-ra-she,     J 

bash-mek',  I  will  die. 

difficult,  ma-ma-ni'-stek,  it  is  difficult,  with  difficulty, 
dig,  a-ma-e6'-ka,  to  dig. 
dip,  ab-e-'stek',  to  dip,  as  water  with  a  cup. 

wa-shik',  f 

,.,,        \  to  dip  up. 
o-zek ,       ) 

direct,  min-e-shi'-o,  to  direct, 
disease,  ba-di-sa'-de,  any  kind  of  contagious  disease, 
ba-du-pu'-pe,  cholera,  spasms, 
na-se-ta-a'-re,  disease  of  the  chest, 
a-sha'-re,  any  disease  of  the  heart, 
be'-re-a-reh',  sickness  in  the  abdomen, 
a-rali'-a-he-ra-be-pu'-a,  disease  in  the  neck  of 

a  horse,  poll  evil, 
dish,  ba-te'. 
dismount,  ba-tsi-nali'-pi-mil'i,  |  to    get    off    from   a 

tsi-nah-pe',  )        horse, 

disposition,  ma-na-sic'-ik,  a  good  disposition, 
distribute,  ba-wu-mat'-mih,  to  spend, 
do,  di-e-ba'-mik,  I  will  do  it,  or  I  am  willing  to  do  it. 
dog,  bis'-ka. 

bis-ka-bu'-ra,  a  male  dog. 
bis'-ke-mi'-e,  a  female  dog. 
bis'-ke-na'-ke,  young  dog,  puppy, 
bis'-ka-me-na'-pali-u-e,  dogs  biting  each  other, 
bis-ke-a'-ma-ma,  a  dog  song, 
tsih-pe',  a  prairie  dog.     Arctomys. 


door,  bi-di'-a,  a  door  of  a  lodge. 
double-tongued,  mi'-shik,  a  hypocrite, 
doubtful,  ba-re-na'-se-nop,  two  hearts,  deceitful. 
dove,  ma-i'-pae-ka'-she,  a  turtle  dove. 

down,  bak'-se,         1 

>  below,  as  down  the  river, 
bu-a-ka-re ,   ) 

draw,  tuh'-puk,  to  draw  down  anything. 
drink,  is-mi'-mik,  to  drink. 

ish-i'  (imp.),  drink. 

ma'-ku-si-a,  to  drink  out. 

ku-ta-ki-shi'  (imp.),  take  and  drink. 

ka'-ku-tse,  to  be  drunk. 
drop,  he,  to  drop  anything. 
drum,  bi-rali'-e. 
duck,  mi-hah'-e. 

dung,  na-tse'-re,  the  fresh  excrement  of  a  buffalo. .. 
dusty,  u'-ke-shik,  to  be  dusty. 
dry,  ka-ru'-tsili. 

ta-shi'-tsih,  to  dry  anything. 

E. 

each,  shi'-she,  each  one,  every. 
eagle,  da-a^ka'-l'ia,  war-eagle. 

ear-ring,  mali-pa-ma'-na,  •) 

[•  ornaments, 
mili-pu -e-te,       J     • 

early,  tsi-na'-ki-sa,  early  in  the  morning, 
earth,  a-me-ko'-ta,  the  whole  earth,  the  world, 
a-ma-pi'-ni-e,  rich  earth,  a  fertile  soil, 
a-me'-lia-tsi-e,  earthquakes,  explosions  in  the 

mountains, 
a'-ma-she,  earth  houses,  like  those  of  the  Min- 

nitarees. 

easily,  ba-i-tu'-ka. 
eat,  tu'-shik, 


tu -snik,        -) 

[  to  eat. 
ti-ru  -shik,    ) 


ba-bu'-she,  I  eat. 
egg,  i-ke-ka'-te. 

elbow,  mish-bah-e',  and  is-pa'-ba. 
eloquent,  ba-i-di'-tuk. 

embroider,  bam-pash'-tsik,  to  garnish  or  embroider, 
empty,  ham-nets'. 

enemy,  bas-ko-ci',  an  enemy  at  home,  in  camp, 
enjoy,  ba-si'-tsc-wak,  to  be  glad,  to  enjoy,  to  take 

pleasure. 


INDIAN  TRIBES  OF  THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


407 


enough,  ka-ra-ha'-mik,  ~\  enough  ;  I  am  done, — usual- 
ka-ra-ko'-mik,  V  ly  said  when  a  speech  is 
ka-ra-ko'-mi-o,  }  finished. 

exchange,  bat-ba'-ke-re,  in  exchange. 

exist,  ma-ka'-ku,  to  live,  to  exist. 

eye,  is'-te. 

is-te-i'-e,      ) 

>•  eyebrows, 
mish-ti-e,    ) 

is-tal'i'-pe,  eyelids. 

is-to'-a-re,  sore  eyes. 

is'-te-wa'-tsi-bali -u'-c-mih",  to  rub  the  eyes. 

is-te'-pi-ok,  to  have  the  smoke  come  into  the  eyes. 

is'-te-o'-ma-te,  iron  for  the  eyes,  spectacles. 

is-te-re'-de,  to  be  blind. 

is-ta'-re-tuk,  blindness. 

F. 
face,  i'-se,  ni'-se,  ni-shi'-se. 

ni'-se-bi'-shi-kat,  a  red  face. 

ni'-se-lu-ri-shi'-tse,  to  wash  the  face, 
fall,  ta-ni'-o,  to  fall  down, 
farther,  na'-ne. 
fat,  shi-me'. 

ta-ra',  the  fatty  portions  of  an  animal, 
father,  ah-e'. 

n)i-nup'-lie.  my  father, 
feather,  ma-ep'-l'ia-ha,  a  quill  or  feather. 

ma-ep'-lia-h  a-ipsh,  the  tail  feather. 
feel,  bu-ru-shi'-cik,  to  feel,  feeling, 
find,  a-mo-nup'-ik,  to  find  anything, 
fire,  bi'-de. 

bi'-de-ka'-te,  a  small  fire,  a  candle. 

a-rali'-i-a,  to  light,  as  a  candle  or  a  fire. 

bi'-dc-go'-hi-a,  the  fire  blazes  up. 

bi'-de-a-ra'-peli,  the  fire  burns. 

bi-ra'-do,  the  fireplace. 

bi'-di-tu'-a,  fire-wood. 

bi'-di-tak,  matches,  friction. 

a'-ce-bi-de,  a  fire-horse,  locomotive,  furnace, 
fish,  bu'-a. 

bu-a-na'-ka,  all  kinds  of  small  fishes. 

bu-a-hali'-a,  spotted  fish,  trout. 

bu-e-du'-sha,  the  blue  heron,  fish-eater.     Ardea 

herodias. 
VOL.  XII. — 52 


bu-e-ku-ku'-e,  fish-hook, 
i-min-deli'-o-me,  the  fins  of  a  fish, 
float,  da-ka-pe',  to  float, 
flower,  ba-ha-bu'-e,  and  om'-pe. 
fly,  ma-na-me',  to  fly. 

i-nu'-shu-shik,  to  fly  in  pieces. 
ma-pu'-e-te,  a  fly,  insect. 
ma-pu'-e-cV-se,  the  common  house-fly, 
min'-e-te-i'-shc,  a  butterfly, 
foam,  po'-he. 
foe,  is-ma-hi'-he,  all  foes. 
foolish,   ma-ma-nah'-e,  a  foolish  man,  one  with   no 

sense. 

foot,  ba-tse',  and  ic-e-ta'-re. 
ba-tsi-ni'-ce,  foot-racing, 
it-mu'-a,  sole  of  the  foot. 
forehead,  mi-e-hi'-e. 
forever,  ko-ce-te'. 
fork,  a-ra-sali'-ta,  and  ba-cV-e. 

ba-cu'-e-sa-te-ka'-te,  a  small  fork. 
forwards,  i-se'-ko. 
freeze,  a-ka-pe'j  it  is  freezing, 
a-ka-pak',  it  is  frozen, 
mi-a-pak',  to  be  cold,  to  freeze, 
friend,  a-mats'-c;ik,  and  min-e-ba'-a-tse. 
ma-na'-ke,  my  friend, 
hin-a-ke',  my  friend, — used  in  addressing   a 

person. 

ma-na-se',  my  heart,  my  friend, — a  term  of  en 
dearment  in  social  life, 
frighten,  ah-pa-ret',  to  terrify, 
frog,  sa'-ke. 

sa-ka'-re-cu-ka'-re,  a  large  toad, 
fruit,. ma'-na-pa-pa,  berries. 

ma-nit-nauk',  to  bring  berries  or  fruit, 
ma-nit-na'-kiik,  to  gather  fruit, 
o-zik',  ripe  fruit, 
o-zi'-se,  green  fruit, 
ma-ne-shi'-she,  bullberries. 
ma-ne-shi'-she-ba'-ra-da-ru'-a,  to  beat  the  bull- 
berries  off  the  bush, 
ma-na-ka'-she,  service-berry  bush, 
bi-tse'-tili-te,  a  black  edible  berry  growing  on 
the  high  mountains. 


408 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


bish-kat-mu'-e,  a  red  berry,  species  not  known. 

bi-tash-tse',  white  berries. 

ba-e-sali'-pit-e,  black  fruit,  a  kind  of  service- 
berry. 

ba-e-sali'-es-tse,  a  small,  edible  fruit,  growing  in 
clusters. 

ba-dup'-i,  a  palatable  dish  formed  of  cherries  and 
meat  mixed. 

ba'-tsu-a,  small  cherries.      Ccrasus  Virginianus. 

ba'-tsu-a-ra-tsi-tu'-e,  to  beat  the  cherries  off  of 
the  bushes. 

ba'-tsu-a-mu'-ni-te,  black  haws. 

i-sko'-shi-ke,  a  kind  of  red  berry. 

iht-ye-pi'-ti-eht,  red  berries  growing  on  the 
Rocky  Mountains. 

hum'-ba-ta-te,  a  species  of  blackberry. 

ka-pud'-i-i-ste,  the  whortle-berry. 

i'-ali-she-di-a-wa'-me-nak'-mih,  to  make  a  soup 
or  stew  of  meat  and  berries. 

G. 

gall,  a-pi-tsu'-a. 
gallop,  a-pash'-kuli-gi-a-hu'-i-tsc,  galloping,  as  a  horse. 

ba-ge-rush'-i-mch,  galloping  on  horseback, 
gamble,  ba-de'-ah'-pe-dik,  to  gamble, 
game,  ma-no'-pe-de,  a  favorite  game  with  the  women, 

in  which  plum-pits  are  used, 
ah-o'-a-da,  to  hide  the  dish, — a  favorite  game 

with  all. 

a-ba-tsink'-i-sha,  a  game  somewhat  like  billiards. 
gather,  bac-ki-o'-kik,  to  gather,  to  collect. 
get,  hin-e-6i'-nek,  to  get  up,  as  from  a  bed. 
nes-ha'-ra  (imp.),  get  out. 
ba-tsi-nek',  I  got  up. 
girl,  ma-nac-ka'-te,  a  little  girl, 
give,  be'-mili,  to  give,  as  a  present, 
ba-ru'-sa-uk,  a  present,  a  gift. 
ha-ho'-ka-shi'-na,  to  give  thanks  to  the  sun  for 

any  favor. 

tu'-sauk,  to  give  up  anything, 
glass,  ba-de'-e-tsi-eT-ke,  a  looking-glass,  mirror, 
glue,  ba-i-co'-sa. 
go,  a-sa'-nup, 


a-sa-nup,        •) 

\  to  sp. 
na -ma-nin,     ) 

dek  (imp.),  go. 


mi'-ma-mili,  to  go  in. 
hin'-a-be-wa'-mili,  to  go  across  the  river, 
ka-me'-mok,  to  go  together, 
kan-tu'-i-tse-nok-tsi-na'-ne,  to  pack  up  and  go  on  a 

journey. 

na'-ne-kan-tek',  to  go  farther, 
tu'-hi-nan,  to  go  to  the  war. 
bu-rc-shik',  I  let  it  go. 

hi-ris-pa'-rili,  I  am  going  outside,  or  out  of  doors, 
in  answer  to  the  question  :  "  Where  are  you 
going  ?" 

nah'-a-ra  (imp.),  go  away, 
ko-tu-ceh'-pa-da  (imp.),  go  with  one  only, 
ali'-pa-da  (imp.),  go  with  them, 
a-ma'-su,  to  descend,  to  go  down, 
goitre,  ap-hi'-she. 
good,  it'-sik,  it'-sili. 

ko-tuc'-it-sik,  he  alone  is  good. 
goose,  mi'-ne,  and  mi'-na. 
grass,  bik-te',  grass  of  any  kind,  generic  term, 
bik-ta'-kat,  short,  low  grass, 
bik-ti-a'-shu-a,  the  grass  growing, 
bik-ti-a'-sa-ti,  edible  roots  of  plant  like  a  carrot, 
bat-su'-a-te,  sweet-smelling  grass, 
ah-pa-nah'-e-sip-sih-she',  horsetail  grass.    Eqid- 

setinn. 

pu-pa'-e,  dry  grass,  hay. 
nali-pit'-e,  black  grasshopper,  a  cricket, 
mi-shu'-ke,  common  grasshopper, 
great,  bat-sa6',  strong,  powerful. 


i-se',  I 

i-sa',  J    g       '       SC< 


green,  shu'-e-kat. 

ground,  a-mi'-a-mo-na,  in  the  ground. 

grow,  ba-a-pi'-ni,  anything  that  is  growing. 

a-pa'-na,  to  grow. 
gum,  i-u'-she,  gums  of  the  teeth, 
gun,  be-rup'-tse-ma-nali'-e. 

ma-nali'-i-she,  a  gun-cover. 

ma-i'-a,  a  gun-flint. 

bash-tah'-e-ma'-e,  percussion  caps. 

H. 

habit,  is-e-ta'-be,  custom,  habit. 

is-e-ta'-be-it'-sik,  good  habits. 


INDIAN   TRIBES  OF    THE   MISSOURI   VALLET. 


409 


is-e-ta'-bc-ka-wi',  bad  habits, 
hail,  ma-ka-pe'. 
hair,  mi'-shi-e,  my  hair. 

init-su'-a-nu'-mi-ne,  a  tuft  of  hair,  scalp-lock  on 

the  back  of  the  head, 
nu'-nii-ne,  a  tuft  or  lock. 
mili-e'-a-nu-iui'-ne,  tuft  or  lock  of  hair  on  the 

forehead, 
hallo,  u-ka-he' !  an  exclamation. 

ha-hi'-a !  hallo  there  !  to  call  to  one  at  a  dis 
tance. 
hand,  ba-sku'-re,  and  bash'-tse. 

bash'-tse-a'-ke,  the  upper  part  of  the  hand, 
bash'-tse-mu'-e,    the   hollow   or   inside   of    the 

hand. 

mash'-tse,  my  hand, 
tesh'-tse,  thy  hand, 
tesh'-tse-pah-u-ru-shi'-mih,  to  wipe  the  hands 

on  anything. 

bas-mi-tsu'-a,  a  wart  on  the  hand, 
hang,  i'-shi-e-wa'-mili,  to  hang  up. 
hard,  ba-ra-hip'-sat,  indurated, 
hat,  ba-da-e'-ain-pe',  a  hat  or  bonnet. 

mit-yuh -pe',  a  cap. 
hate,  mi-du'-pi-uk,  they  hate  me. 

mi-du'-shi-ci'-se,  they  care  nothing  for  me. 
hawk,  a-pi-te',  seems  to  be   a  generic  term  of  that 

class  of  birds, 
be'-rets,  a  kind  of  hawk, 
be-rets-ge-na-hi'-o,  a  branch  of  Wind  River, 
is-a-ci'-sa,  a  small  hawk, 
is-e-ke-ki'-she,  a  mosquito-hawk. 
head,  a'-shu. 

a-shu'-a-<5o-se,  white  skull,  as  of  a  buffalo,  long 

exposed  on  the  grorfhd. 
a-skep'-ka-wi,  a  bad  head,  a  Dutchman, 
hear,  mi'-ka-kuk,  to  hear. 
heart,  na'-se. 

na'-se-it'-si-ka,  a  good  heart. 

nas-ka-wi',  a  bad  heart. 

na'-se-kosh'-te-kat,    little    heart,    despondent, 

faint-hearted. 

na-se-hi-ni'-a,  undoubted,  firm,  to  be  depended 
upon. 


na'-se-nop,  uncertain,  deceitful,  two  hearts, 
heavy,  tash-ta-tsip'. 
herd,  man-c'i-c'uh'-e,  a  herd  or  drove. 
hexagon,  a-ka'-mak-a-tak,  six-cornered, 
hill,  sin-da'. 

shi-ca'-ke-da,  up  a  hill, 
shlc-bu-uk'-is-a,  down  a  hill, 
i-she',  the  height  of  a  hill, 
hin'-e-sha-ke'-ma-kufc,  at  the  foot  of  a  hill, 
hold,  ta'-Iiash,  to  hold  anything,  as  a  book. 

bu-ru-ba'-shik  (imp.),  hold  on. 
hole,  lia-hi'-e-pak,  to  make  a  hole  in  the  ground. 

a-wat'-sit-mi,  to  look  through  a  hole, 
horn,  az-ka-ru'-de. 

az-i'-si-a-de,  a  horn  spoon, 
horse,  it-si'-re. 

it-si'-re-tsi-ri'-tu-a,  to  drive  the  horses, 
it-si'-re-i-ne-ka'-su-a,  picket  stakes  for  horses, 
it-si'-re-tsi'-she,  horsehair, 
tse'-shi-shi-a,  a  horse-blanket,  or  other  cover, 
i-shu'-e,  the  mane  of  a  horse. 
it-si'-ri-ka.-she,  elk,  or  real  horse, 
it-si' -ri-ka-she-ru'-pa,  male  elk. 
it-si'-ri-kash-bi-shi'-a,  female  elk. 
it-si'-ri-ka-nak',  to  become  frightened  and  run 

away,  as  a  horse, 
it-si'-ri-na'-ka,  a  colt, 
it-si'-ri-ak-se'-re-te,  a  free  or  wild  horse, 
it-si'-ri-ma-ni-tum'-a-kat,  a  gentle  horse, 
it-si'-ri-i-ni'-she-tuk,  an  active  horse, 
it-si'-ri-i-tali-pu'-e,  the  hoof  of  a  horse, 
it-si'-ri-mi-ne-shi'-te,  to  water  the  horse, 
it-si'-ri-man-dek',  a  crippled  horse, 
it-si'-ri-ba-tsi-ni'-ce,  horse-racing, 
hospitable,  ba-ke-tuk'. 

ba-tse-ba-ke'-tuk,  a  hospitable  man. 
hot,  ta-men'. 
house,  a-she'. 

a-she'-a-ke'-da,  on  the  top  of  the  house, 
how  do  you  do,  ba-tsa'-bali-a'-pe,  "how  do  you  do?" 

literally,  "  we  find  each  other." 
hungry,  na-ni'-she,  to  be  hungry, 
hunt,  ba-ce-tsi'-mik,  I  hunt  for  anything, 
hurt,  i-ah'-ok,  to  hurt  or  injure. 


410 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


I. 

ice,  bi-ruli'-e. 

ignorance,  rna-nah'-e,  ignorance,  simplicity. 

ma-nali'-at,  ignorant,  simple. 

ma-nali '-tuk,  I  do  not  know, 
ill-natured,  in-i-shi'-plk,  badly  disposed, 
imitate,  ka-rc-kot',  to  imitate, 
increasing,  ali-pa-tak'. 
independent,  ba-du'-she-tsi'-a. 
Indian,  bi-ruli-pa'-ka-ra. 
indigo,  mi-shu-ali'-shu-pit'-e. 

mi-shu-ali',  bluestone,  sulphate  of  copper, 
industrious,  i-sam'-bat-sa,  an  industrious  man. 
influential,  i-sa'-ke-ka-te,   large,  influential,   a   great 


innocent,  ma-ni-tum'-e-ka-te,  good-natured, 
inside,  ko'-rak-ma,  the  inside  of  anything, 
intelligent,  bat-si'-tan. 
iron,  o'-rua-te,  any  kind  of  iron  or  metal,  &c. 

o'-ma-te-a-pi'-a,  a  medal,  literally,  iron  on   the 
neck. 

o'-mat-shi-re,  yellow  iron,  brass. 

o'-ma-6i-di'-e,  the  iron  that  rattles. 

i-mali'-o-pi'-a,  a  kind  of  iron  wire. 
island,  min-e-pi'-ze. 

J. 

jawbone,  du-de-pe'. 

jump,  a-na-push'-a-ma-ta,  where   the  buffalo  jump  a 
great  distance. 


K. 

kettle,  bi-rah'-e,  a  kettle,  or  kettle  drum, 
bi-rah' '-a-te,  a  small  kettle. 
bi-rali'-te-tu'-e,  to  beat  the  drum  or  kettle, 
bi-rah'-tsi-e,  a  white  kettle, 
bi-rah'-i-tsi-ti'-e,  the  chain  on  the  kettle, 
bi-rali'-e-ci'-nu,  a  tripod,  from  which  a  kettle  is 

suspended. 

bi-rali'-e-i-cu'-sa-tse,  a  kettle  cover, 
bi-rah'-e-i'-de,  the  bail  or  handle  of  a  kettle  or 

pail. 


bi-rali'-e-ra'-tsi-ka-tse,  the  seam  on  the  side  of 

a  kettle. 
bi-rali'-e-a-pe',  the  ears  to  which  the  handle  of 

a  kettle  is  attached. 

bi-rali'-e-i-tsi'-she,  the  bottom  of  a  pail. 
kill,  ha'-mi-o,  to  kill. 
kiss,  mis-bash'-tse,  a  kiss. 

mis-bash-tse'-mili,  to  kiss  any  one. 
knee,  i-shu'-de,  and  i-shu'-she. 
ba-shu'-she,  my  knee, 
di-shu'-she,  thy  knee, 
knife,  mit-si'-c. 

mit-si'-e-nop'-kat,  a  pair  of  scissors,  two  knives. 
mit-si'-e-bat-si-shik',  to  sharpen  a  knife, 
mit-si'-e-it-she',  to  sharpen  any  edged  tool, 
mit-si'-e-tsi-re-tsi'-she,  a  pocket-knife,  one  that 

opens  and  shuts, 
mit-si'-she,  knife-scabbard, 
mit-si-hin'-ek,  here  is  a  knife, 
mits-ka-hat'-ska,  long  knife,  an  American. 
knock,  mi-ta-me'-a-mit-nak,  to  knock,  or  strike, 
wa-pali'-mili,  to  knock  anything  loose. 


L. 


lame,  a-nali'-uk. 
land,  a-me', 


a-me ,  1 
a-re',     I 


both  words  used. 


large,  i-sa'. 

i-sa-ni6'-kat,  rather  large, 
i-sa-e-shek',  still  larger. 
i-sa-bat-sa6',  very  large. 

lariat,  i-ali-cV,  and  i-nal\ -tu'-e. 

last,  a-ha'-ka,  at  last,  last. 

laughing,  ba-ruk',  we  arc  laughing. 

lay,  lia-pik',  to  lay  down  anything. 

lazy,  i'-shi-tuk,  indolent,  lazy,  careless, 
i'-shi-tek,  a  lazy  fellow, 
ba-am-be'-ret,  to  do  nothing,  to  be  lazy. 

lead,  is-ba-se',  to  lead  or  conduct- 
lead,  i-e'-re-pc-pu'-she,  a  mineral. 

leaf,  a'-pc. 

a-pe'-ta-ni'-o,  leaves  falling  from  the  trees,  au 
tumn. 

lean,  mi-wah' -puk'-mili,  to  lean  on  another. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


411 


mi-sak'-spah -e,  to  lean  on  any  one,  used  in  social 

intercourse. 
leg,  mi-hu'-re. 

mi-hu'-re-a-ka'-ta-wa-rnili',  to  put  the   legs   into 
another's  lap. 

leggins,  i'-shi-she,  ) 

[•  leggins  or  pants, 
ho-ce',        ) 

ho-ce'-e-a-she',  garnishing  for  leggins. 
lengthwise,  bac'-ku-ko-ni'-a. 
lie,  bash-tsit'-mili,  to  lie  on  anything,  as  a  bed. 
ho-pik',  to  lie  down, 
hu-pa'-re  (imp.),  lie  down, 
da-ka'-pik,  lying  down  on  any  place, 
ba-hop'-nik,  I  will  lie  down, 
lift,  du-e',  to  raise  or  lift  up. 

ba-ru-e',  I  lift  up. 
light,  tah-pih'-at,  light,  not  heavy, 
lightning,  shi-re-sho'-re. 

ka-ni'-tsi-e,   to  lighten,   as  just   before  a 

storm. 

lignite,  om-bi-dah'-i-tali-pu'-a,  "stone  coal." 
lips,  i-e-ali'-pe. 
listen,  hin-e',  look   here !  say  !  listen  ! — used  to  call 

attention. 

little,  i-e-ka'-shi-at,  little,  applied  to  any  child, 
live,  in-ek',  to  live, 
in-e',  alive, 
in-e-shi'-uk,  long  life. 

hi-ri-tsi'-sa-re,  to  be  or  to  live  close  by  or  near, 
lizard,  ma-ka'-pe  (species  unknown), 
mi-shu-ka'-re,  a  ground  lizard. 
lodge,  a-she',  a  tent  or  lodge. 

a-she'-mo-na,  inside  of  a  lodge, 
ash-kum'-u-a,  inside  of  a  house, 
a-she'-il'i-i-mo'-a,  the  tent  is  full  of  persons, 
a-she'-kan-tuk'-puk,  to  break  down  the  lodge, 
ash-it-sik',  a  good  house, 
bi'-ro-pe-ash'-u-a,  a  beaver  lodge, 
a-she'-e-kat'-kat,  a  red  tent  or  lodge, 
ash-ali'-tsik,  a  white  tent  or  lodge, 
a-she'-ap'-ka-wi,  a  very  bad  lodge, 
bik-ta'-she,  grass  lodge,  a  house  built  of  grass, 
is-ki-she'-pu-a,  rotten  medicine  lodge  (Clarke's 
Fork). 


bish-kish'-e,  to  place  buflalo-mcat  in  a  lodge. 

ba'-tsi-e,  ) 

Y  lodge-poles, 
i-e'-m-e,    ) 

ba'-tsi-e-a-nuk',  to  bring  the  lodge-poles, 
ba'-tsi-a'-^e,      ->     Pine    Wood   Creek,  or   Pole 
i-e'-ni-e-a'-ze,    j         Creek. 

ma-su'-a,          •) 

J-  to  live  in  a  tent  or  lodge, 
ili-a-mo  -a-re,   ) 

is-miz'-pe-re,  a  lodge-skin  that  has  been  used, 
look,  a  !  look  here  ! 

ba-te-ek'-yak,  he  is  looking  at  us. 

a6-kah'-a-ka-ba,  go  and  look  out. 
lose,  ko'-re-sak,  to  lose  anything, 
louse,  mbe. 

love,  a-ma-tsi'-she,    ") 

J-  to  love. 
m-6i  -sa-kits,    ) 

lungs,  da-ho',  lungs  or  lights. 


M. 


magpie,  Im-pi'-a-kat. 
make,  wali-sa'-ko, 


wali-sa  -ko,   ) 

[•  to  make  anythit 
tr-a-wak,      ) 


ic-ek',  to  make  up. 

male,  ba-a-sa'-ne,  the  male  of  any  animal, 
mallet,  nii-pac'-ke,  a  stone  mallet,  used  for  driving 

down  lodge-pins. 
man,  bat-se',  and  wat-si'. 

bat-se'-tse,  a  chief  or  warrior, 
bat-se'-it-sik,  a  good  man. 
is-ah'-a-she,  a  young  man. 
wali-pek',  medicine-men, 
ma-ste-shi'-re,  yellow  eyes,  a  white  man. 
ma-ste-shi'-re-ship-it'-e,  a  black  man,  a  negro, 
ma-ste-shi'-re-is-de-ka'-ke,  white  man's  birds,  do 
mestic  fowls, 
bi-ruli'-pa-ke,  a  human  being,  person,  a  man,  the 

people. 

ak-ba-di'-o,  a  doctor  or  medicine-man, 
manoeuvre,  wa-tsi'-ek-tsuk,  to  drill. 
marrow,  tu'-pe. 
marsh,  ma-ha'-shi-pi-e'. 
meat,  i-ru'-ke,  any  kind  of  meat, 
i-riih'-pu-a,  stinking  meat, 
i-ru'-ka-lia-piu,  the  meat  falls  down. 


412 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 


i-ru'-ke-bu-e-biish'-mik,  to  bring  meat  and  eat. 
is-du'-she-she,  fresh  meat. 
nia'-ni-she,  dried  meat. 

huk'-pi-e,  louillon,  the  liquor  after  boiling  meat. 
meet,  a-ni-eli'-teh ,  to  meet  another. 
melt,  ba'-kats,  to  melt. 

ba-ka'-6ik,  to  melt,  as  ice. 
memory,  a-wats'-kap-ma,  to  commit  to  memory. 
mend,  ic-e-ha-kuk,  to  mend, 
middle,  ku'-a-de,  in  the  middle. 
milk,  at-si-mi'-na. 
mine,  bas,  (possessive  pronoun.) 
bas-mit-si'-e,  my  knife, 
bas-mit-si'-e-hu'-e,  give  me  my  knife, 
bi-be',  it  is  mine, 
mint,  shu-shu'-e,  a  kind  of  mint,  MentTia. 

shu-shu'-e-re-eu'-ku-re,  horse-mint,  balm, 
miss,  ba-ru-sak',  to  miss  the  mark  in  shooting, 
mistake,  ka-bi'-uk,  to  make  a  mistake, 
mix,  wa-rc-ba'-o,  to  mix. 
moccasin,  ba-sa-pe',  and  ba-sali-pe'. 

ba-sa-pe'-bu-retk,  moccasins  torn  or  broken, 
ba-sali'-pa-ke,  moccasin  strings, 
homp-ta'-re,  shoes  or  moccasins, 
hom-pi-she-dah'-pe,  white  man's  shoes. 
moose,  o-pis'-pi,  seen  by  the  Crows  in  the  North, 
mortification,  a-no-mut-si'-rus-tse,  mortification  in  dis 
ease. 

mosquito,  a-pa'-ka. 
mother,  ba-sali'-u-e. 

ba-sali-'e,  my  mother, 
bu-sha',  my  mother  in  law. 
mountain,  a-ma-ha'-be. 

a-ma-ha'-ba-i-a-ka'-te,  little  mountain, 
mourn,  mi-ma'-tse-shi-a'-te,  to  mourn,  to  be  in  mourn 
ing. 

ba-ta'-6k,  mourning. 

mouse,  i-su'-e-ka-te,  a  kind  of  field-mouse, 
mouth,  a-ma-tsi'-e,  the  mouth  of  a  stream, 
move,  ali -a',  to  move  away,  from  one  place  to  another 

dos-ha'  (imp.),  move  up  close. 
much,  a-huk,  a  "  heap,"  a  great  deal, 
a-ho'-i-shuk,  more,  very  much, 
na'-niih,  how  much '! 


mud,  shi-pi'-e. 

shi-pi'-e-dc-sa'-cik,  to  stick  in  the  mud. 
mule,  ali-pi-se'. 
mystery,  bali-pa,  medicine  or  mystery. 

N. 

nail,  is-mah'-pe,  the  finger  nail, 
bas-mah'-pe,  my  finger  nail, 
it-ah'-pu-a,  toe  and  finger  nails,  the  claws  of  any 

animal. 
it-ali'-pu:a-shi'-tik,  a  claw  or  nail  when  broken 

off. 
neck,  ma'-a-pe. 

nia-a'-pi-e,  a  necklace  of  beads, 
ba-de'-e-ah-pu'-a-te,  a  necklace  of  bears'  claws, 
needle,  mit-se'-wat-su'-a,  a  sewing  needle, 
neither,  ma-i-he',  neither,  something  else, 
nest,  ish-tsi'-se,  a  nest  of  any  kind, 
news,  ko-te'-ba-re-ta'-re,  ill  news,  bad  news. 

a-ni-tsi'-me-bi'-she,  I  have  received  the  news, 
night,  o'-tsi-ek. 
nipple,  a'-at-se,  teat  or  nipple. 
no,  ba-ret'. 

a-ra-di'-a-wa-sa,  same  as  ba-ret'. 
ba-re-ta'-re,  not  at  all. 
ba-re-ta'-re-ba-re-ta'-re,  no,  never  can  be. 
a-rln-det',  for  no  purpose. 
nose,  ba-pe'. 
nothing,  ham-net',  nothing,  there  is  none. 

now,  hin-e-ka',    ) 

\  at  this  time, 
hin-ak  -ek,  ) 

hin-a-ka'-de,  not  long  ago. 


0. 

object,  ka-ni-ni'-a-tek,  a  thing,  anything,  an  object. 
often,  a-hon'-ha,  many  times, 
old,  ba-ha-di'-a. 

ka-ra-shi'-e,  a  long  time,  advanced  age. 
shi'-a-kat,  old,  of  great  age. 
is-a'-ka-kat,  an  old  man. 
ornament,  o'-ma-te-pa-pash'-ka-te,  small,  round,  brass 

ornaments. 

map-ma'-she,  a  ring  hanging  from  the  neck, 
as  an  ornament. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


413 


otter,  ba-hul'i'-te. 

out,  a-ma-nc'-na,  out  of  doors. 

oval,  tsi-tsih'-iu-ats'-lii-kat,  oval,  like  an  egg. 

over,  i-tsu'-sa. 

owl,  po-pa'-te,  owls  in  general. 

own,  bin'-bauk,  to  own  anything. 


P. 

paint,  ma-rua-ma-na'-tuk,  to  paint. 

raa-ma-na'-6e,  to  write. 

ma-ma-ne'-ce,  painting  or  picture  writing. 

mish-tsi-she-wa'-mil),  to  paint  oneself, 
pan,  i-ma-mi-ni'-su-a,  a  frying-pan, 
paper,  ma-na'-ma-na'-tse. 
part,  ha-ka-kat',  any  part, 
pass,  bak'-mili,  to  pass  the  pipe, 
patella,  a-ho'-ha,  kneepan. 

paw,  tsi-ki-ak',    ) 

[•  to  paw  the  earth,  as  horses, 
tsi-ki-e',     ) 

peace,  mash-tse'-she. 

mash-tse'-she-tsi'-wa-mili ,  to  make  peace. 

mi-a-ali'-pe,  a  peace  with  nations, 
pelvis,  is-i-shu'-re. 
pencil,  i'-ma-ma-na-tse. 

people,  aub-sa'-ro-ke,  "  the  people,"  the  Crow  nation, 
peppermint,  tsu'-shu-a. 


perspire,  mi-ta'-meli, 


mi-ta-men,  •) 

t  to 

i  -os,  J 


sweat  or  perspire. 


i-ah-pi'-se,  perspiration, 
pheasant,  sits'-ke-se,  the  cock  of  the  plains. 
sits'-ke-ta-re,  prairie  chicken, 
sits'-ke-im-po-hah-e,  mountain  pheasant, 
pick,  du'-ea,  to  pick  up  anything. 

bi-wali-tse'-ba-wiish-yu'-mili,  to  pick  the  teeth. 

bu-ru'-ce,  I  picked  it  up. 
pinch,  bu-ru-tsi'-ap-mih,  to  pinch, 
pine,  ha-riili '-a-ne-mik,  to  pine  away. 

bat'-si,  a  pine  tree. 

bat'-si-iih-pe,  pine  cones. 
pipe,  imp-tse'-ush,  se-Ip'-tse,  Ip'-tse. 

ip'-tse-ri-su'-a,  the  pipe  dance. 

a-wa'-ko,  to  take  hold  of  the  pipe  near  the  bowl. 

a-wa'-ko-pa'-ko,  to  take  the  pipe  near  the  stem. 


ba-kash'-mili,  to   place   the  pipe    in   another's 

hands  with  some  force  when  done  smoking, 
bat'-si-ba-shi'-tsih,  to  stir  up  the  contents  of  the 

pipe  with  a  stick, 
a-mu'-e,  the  oil  which  accumulates  in  a  pipe 

when  smoking. 

pistol,  ma-nali'-e-po'-me-ka-te. 

plant,  a-mu'-o-bu-ru-shi'-mili,   •>  to  put  anything  in  the 
ma'-e-me-mu'-se,  )      earth,  to  plant, 

ba-ka'-i-sa-tse,  thistle  plants, 
ma-om'-pe-hi'-she,  a  large  thistle, 
ma-o-pe'-shi-re,  a  gummy  plant,   with   yellow 

flowers. 

i-ha',  pomme  blanche,  prairie  turnip.    Psoralea 
escvlenta.     Abundant  throughout  the  West 
ern  country,  and  most  useful  to  the  Indian 
as  an  article  of  food, 
i'-re,  a  sweet-smelling  root  like  parsnip, 
imp-ce'-c'a-ha'-he,  a  species  of  Chenopodium. 
play,  ma-nali'-shik,  to  play. 
pleased,  me'-ka-matsli,  I  am  pleased, 
plum,  ma-nuh-pe'.     Primus  Viryiniana. 
ma-na-pi'-e,  plum  bush, 
ma-na-pu'-a.      Cerasus. 
pocket,  ba-ro'-she,  and  ba-re'-she. 
point,  a-wa'-nii-e-mok,  to  point  out,  to  direct  attention, 
a-me'-tsi-re-tsi'-she,  a  point  of  land  between  two 

streams. 

polecat,  ho-a-ce'. 
poor,  wa-tsesh'-yat. 
porcupine,  a-pa'-ni. 

a-pa'-ni-cl'-se,  the  tail  of  a  porcupine, 
a-pa'-ni-az-i'-sa,  Great  Porcupine  Creek, 
a-pa'-ni-az'-i-e-ka'-te,      Little      Porcupine 

Creek. 
powder,  bi-rup'-tse. 

bi-rup-tsaz'-e,  Powder  River, 
pretty,  it'-se-kat,  pretty,  handsome. 

it-se'-i-shek,  quite  pretty,  more  handsome. 
its-kat'-sac,  very  pretty,  or  prettiest, 
prime,  a-koh-bi-rup'-tse,  to  prime  a  gun  with  powder, 
probable,  ko-te'-ba-sak,  probably  it  is  so ;  there  is  no 

reason  to  dispute  it. 
ko-ta-re-tse',  it  is  probable. 


414 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


sho'-tuk-ko'-tuk,  it  may  or  may  not  be. 
pull,  bu-ru-tsi'-mih,  to  pull  out. 

to'-sha,  to  pull  on  anything, 
push,  ba-tsi'-ne-mili,  to  push  away, 
put,  a-wah'-ska-mih,  to  put  on,  as  moccasins. 

tas'-ke,  to  put  in,  as  in  a  vessel. 

do'-sha,  to  put  on. 

Q. 

quantity,  a-ho'-bat-sa6',  an  enormous  quantity. 

a-hac'-ka-te,  considerable,  a  moderate  supply. 

kash'-te.        ) 

[•    a  little  or  small  quantity, 
ko'-ste-kat,    ) 

tso-na'-ne,  a  little. 
quick,  sus-kat',  soon,  quick. 

R. 

rain,  ha-rak'. 

ha-rek',  it  rains. 

raise,  wa-pah-shi'-inili,  to  raise  up. 
ramrod,  bash-tah-e-wa-ku'-te,  the  ramrod  of  a  gun. 
raven,  pa-re-di'. 

read,  ma-ma-ma-nat'-mili,  to  read,  as  a  book. 
rectum,  u-shi'-a,  the  rectum  of  any  animal. 
red,  hi'-shi-kat,  red,  scarlet,  as  a  red  blanket, 
hi-it'-si-ka-te,  light  red,  rose  color, 
i-a-pe'-pa-ne-a'-she,  the  cochineal  insect,  used  for 
coloring  the  quills  of  the  porcupine  scarlet,  an 
important  article  of  trade  among  the  Western 
Indians, 
remain,  a-ma'-tuk,  to  stay,  to  remain. 

bat-ba-ba-tsi'-mok,  to  remain  in  one  place 
against  an  enemy,  as  Crows  against  Black- 
feet. 

report,  sali'-e-wa-tsi',  the  report  of  a  gun. 
reserved,  be-te-di'-se,  shy. 
revengeful,  ba-tul'i'-te. 
rib,  du'-sa. 
rice,  bi'she'-tslh. 
rich,  ba-i'-ce. 
ride,  a-ki'-na,  to  ride. 

ka-ru'-she-i-ru'-kash,  to  ride  a  horse  on  a  gallop. 

a-ra'-ki-ni,   -) 

}•  to  ride  on  horseback. 
a-wa'-ki-ni,  3 


i-na-mi'-pet-bi-she'-ri-uk,  three  persons  riding  out 
together  to  hunt  buffalo. 

O 

ba-se',  to  ride  ahead  of  another  on  horseback, 
ha'-kak,  to  ride  behind  another  person, 
bu-she-pa'-tsili,    •>    to  be  made  sore  from  riding 
bu-she-ba'-mih,    j        on  horseback, 
bat-sali'-pi-ro,  riding  side  by  side  together, 
ring,  bas-tsa'-sa-shi,  a  ring,  circle. 

ta-bu'-e,  to  ring,  as  a  bell. 
rip,  a-su'-tuk,  to  rip. 
rise,  tsi-na'-ke,  to  rise  up. 

tsi-na'-ke-ma'-tsili  (imp.),  rise  up  and  sit  down, 
tsi-ne'  (imp.),  rise  up,  get  up. 
a-sik',  rising,  as  the  sun. 
river,  a2-e'. 

a£-ka'-te,  a  creek,  or  small  river. 

ai-kat'-it-se,  Good  Creek. 

a^-e-ni'-tsi-a,  Stinking  River,  a  branch  of  the 

Big-born. 

az-kat'-bak-al\ '-pa,  two  parallel  creeks, 
az-i'-sa,  Great  River,  Missouri, 
kan-tu'-se,  the  source  of  a  river. 
robe,  ba-sa'-she,  buffalo-skin  with  the  hair  on,  a  robe. 
rock,  ma-shi'-pit-e,  a  black  rock, 
ma-pu'-e,  Rocky  River, 
ma-pu'-e-ma-nat-bi'-shc,  painted  rock, 
roll,  ih-tsa'-rnih-tsih,  to  roll,  as  horses. 

bi-ra'-mili-tsa-mili,  to  roll  on  the  ground, 
a-me-gipc'',  rolling  land,  wave-lines. 
rope,  i'-eli-i-e,  a  rope  made  of  buffalo-skin. 

ma'-she-i-ali'-tse,  the  rope  used  for  cordelling  or 

towing  a  boat. 
rose-bud,  bits-ki-pe'. 
round,  ba-pa'-she,  round,  circular, 
run,  bat-si'-ri-tuk,  to  run  a  race. 

ho-shik',  it  runs,  or  anything  runs, 
a-mo-a'-te,  running  water. 


S. 
saddle,  a-na-gu-ruh-tse',  to  saddle,  as  a  horse. 

a-na'-gu-ru-shi'-be,   to  take  the  saddle  off,  as 

from  a  horse, 
a-na-me'-ma-ga'-tsi-c,  to  cover  over  the  saddle. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


415 


a-na'-gu-ruh'-pi-wali'-sa-ko,  to  make  a  saddle- 
cover. 

wa-tsa'-ne-shi'-she,  saddle  stirrups, 
sage,  i'-sats-lio-me,  a  species  of  Artemisia. 

i'-sats-lio-me-ha'-kuk.     Artemisia  trifida. 
i'-sats-lio-rne-i-ni'-tsi-tse,  a  kind  of  sage,  used  as 

a  tea. 

saliva,  i-mi-ne'. 

sash,  ba-da-c'-pa-ta'-ce,  a  belt  or  sash. 
satisfied,  mih'-pa-shik',  to  be  satisfied, 
saw,  i-ma'-ne-pus'-ku,  a  hand-saw.  . 

i-ma'-ne-sa'-ce,  a  large  saw. 
scalp,  mi-ne'. 

a-cu'-ru-tu'-e,  to  take  a  scalp, 
scatter,  a-e-ea'-a-da'-ca,  to  scatter, 
scrape,  a-ka-ki'-ra,  to  file,  to  scrape. 

bi-sa'-tse,  steel  edge,  or  scraper. 

scratch,  tap'-lii-e.          ) 

v    to  scratch, 
bats-lia'-mih,   ) 

pa-ha'-ce,  a  scratch. 
scream,  i-mi'-shek,  to  scream, 
screw,  mu'-me-mih. 
see,  a-ma'-ke,  to  see. 

a-ma-ka'-muk,  he  will  see. 
send,  de-bat'-sek,  to  send  anything. 

a-nu'-ak,  to  send,  as  a  message, 
sensible,  ba-ra'-tsi,  good  sense. 

separate,  wa-tsip'-mili ,  to  separate  the  flesh  from  a  skin, 
set,  o-mac',  to  set  anything  down. 

i'-mali-pik,  the  setting  sun. 
sew,  inli'-ac,  to  sew. 

ba-inh '-a6,  I  sew,  as  on  cloth, 
bat'-si-ka-tsili,  to  sew  buttons  or  beads  on  any 
thing. 

shade,  a-rat'-si-c,  a  shade  or  umbrella, 
shake,  ta-wu'-e,  to  shake  or  ring  the  bells. 

bat-si'-u-bi-ri'-u-mih,  to  shake  the  dust  from  a 

blanket. 

shame,  min-o-shi'-<'ik. 
shave,  ba-sak'-she-ti'-a-wak,  to  cut  or  shave  an  arrow. 

shell,  bi-sho'-ce,      ~\ 

V  mussel-shells,      unto. 
ma-ka  -ki-e,  ) 

ba'-she-ri'-e-ka-te,  small  shells. 

ba-hah'-e,  "  the  shell  that  glistens,"  a  shell  ob- 

VOL.  xii. — 53 


tained  in  California,  and  sold  to  the  Indians 
by  the  traders  for  ornaments,  a  Chama. 
ba-tu-wu'-e-pa-pa'-she,  small  shells,  used  as  or 
naments.     Dentalium. 

sheep,  i-sali-pu'-e-ta-tse,  mountain  sheep.      Ovis  man- 
tana. 

i-sali-pu'-e-ta-tse-a'-^e,  the  Big-horn  River, 
shield,  mi-na'-tse. 
shoot,  sali '-e,  to  shoot  one  another, 
ba-pe'-mili,  to  shoot  down, 
bi-bali'-pik,  I  shot  it. 
a-me'-to-ali'-pik,  to  shoot  an  object  at  a  great 

distance. 

bat-bat'-si-uk,  to  shoot  at  a  man  in  battle, 
bi-rup-si'-she,  a  shot-pouch, 
shore,  am-ni'-e. 
short,  bu'-meh-at. 
shoulder,  ba-rash'-pe,  and  ish-u'-re. 

ali'-tse,  suspenders,  shoulder-straps, 
a-pe-i-suli'-e,  a  shirt-collar, 
shout,  tc'-wa-tsi-mih ',  to  shout, 
shut,  bi-ri'-e-fi  (imp.))  shut  the  door, 
sick,  ba-ku'-pak,  sickly. 

wa-kuli'-pa,  to  be  sick, 
mi -ba-ku'-pak,  I  am  sick. 
side,  ak-tus'-ko,  on  this  side, 
a'-ka-ko,    -. 

ak-tsi'-se,   V  on  the  other  side, 
a'-kus,       J 

a-ka'-re,  on  the  opposite  side, 
ak'-tus-ko-um-pa'-se,  on  this  side  of  the  river, 
sight,  a-sek',  in  sight. 

a-si'-sa,  out  of  sight, 
i-ma'-mih -tsu'-ste,  the  sights  on  a  gun. 
sinew,  ba-tsu'-a,  and  a-ra-tsi'-se. 
sing,  ma-nali'-u-a,  to  sing. 

a-kik',  to  sing,  as  a  bird, 
ma-nali'-ik,  singing, 
sink,  a-muli'-ak,  to  sink, 
sister,  a-ku'-pe,  brothers  and  sisters. 
mu-o'-i-sap,  my  sister-in-law, 
sit,  a-mat'-sih,  to  sit  down. 

wat'-sa-wali-a-mat'-mo-uk,  sitting  together. 
skin,  ba-hu'-a,  the  cuticle  or  skin  of  a  person. 


416 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


ba-ra-ku'-a,        ")    a  buffalo-skin  stretched  on  the 


oa-ra-Ku -a,        i    ;i 
ba-ra-ka'-su-a,   ) 


i-pash'-ik,      | 
a-nop'-mili,   j 


to  smell. 


ba-ra-ka'-su-a,   )        ground  to  dry. 
ba-a-ta'-tse,  any  kind  of  a  skin,  as  beaver,  &c. 
ash-ti'-shi-re,  a  grained  skin. 
sky,  a-mali'-e,  sky,  or  heaven. 

a-mali'-a-ra-da,  in  the  sky. 
sleep,  a-gi'-tse-mili,  to  sleep. 

hin'-a-rae-ka-ra-kot',  to  feign  sleep,  like  sleeping. 
sleeve,  a-ri-she'. 
slowly,  na-ni'-ka-se. 
small,  i-e-ka'-te. 

small-pox,  a-pa'-ke,  ba-ka'-ke,  ma-pa'-de. 
smell,  wa-pash'-ik, 
ma-nop' 

ma-om'-pe-shi'-re-i-ni-di'-ce,  sweet-smelling,  yel 
low  blossom. 

pu-e',  it  smells  badly,  to  have  a  bad  odor. 
smile,  bali'-ak,  to  laugh  or  smile. 
smoke,  pu'-e. 
snake,  i-ah'-i-se,  any  kind  of  a  snake. 

nia-kae'-ke,  common  striped  snake, 
i-ali'-i-se-a-ri'-shi-di'-c,  a  rattlesnake, 
snore,  sah'-e,  to  snore, 
snout,  a-pish',  snout  or  muzzle, 
snow,  bi'-pe,  and  bi'-a. 

ba-ah'-pe,  snowing, 
du-pu'-re,  a  snow-storm, 
bi-pa'-e,  it  snows, 
bi-bi'-she,  there  is  snow. 

softly,  ho'-kat,         •» 

>•  softly,  low,  not  loud  :  also  slowly, 
ha-ho-kat,    J 

soldier,  a-ki-sat'-ui,  a  body  of  men  who  constitute  a 

sort  of  police  about  camp  in  time  of  peace, 
some,  hum-bi'-she,  some,  a  part, 
au-hu'-sak,  there  are  some, 
ba-bi'-she,  something, 
son,  ma-nak-bat'-se,  my  son. 
sore,  pu'-a,  a  wound  or  sore. 
SOTll,  ba-dc-nali'-c,  the  living  spirit,  the  soul. 

al'i-pa-nali'-e,  a  spirit  or  ghost. 
sound,  po-ka'. 

shi'-ri-ko'-ri-kat,  to  sound  well,  it  sounds  well. 
Spaniard,  o-ku'-she. 
speak,  ba-dek',  I  speak. 


spear,  ka'-e-ke, 


a  spear  or  lance. 


ba-a-ke', 

i-sa'-me,  a  wooden  spear. 

i-sa'-me-sho-shu'-ru-e,    to    hurl    the    spear   or 

javelin. 

spider,  a-ma'-go-lie. 
spirit,  ali -pa'-nali-ke,  spirits  of  the  dead. 

is-ah'-e-hu'-c-te,  the  Great  Spirit. 

is-ali'-e-ka'-wi,  the  bad  spirit. 
splinter,  a-sash'-ta-o. 

split,  i-nu'-shish,   ) 

[•  to  split. 
a-sa  -ca,         ) 

spring,  mi-e-mah'-i-se,  (season.) 

sprinkle,  ha-rali'-a-ra'-he,  it  sprinkles. 

spyglass,  i-ma-tsi'-nu. 

square,  sho-pa-tak',  four-cornered,  square. 

squirrel,  sta-relic"'. 

stalk,  wa-tseli'-e-shi,  the  stalks  of  G/</ri/rr7u'za  Irpi- 

duta. 
star,  ili-e'. 

ili'-e-sa'-sat-nash,  the  stars  twinkle, 
start,  kan-tu'-e-tuk,  to  start,  to  break  up  a  camp. 

steal,  wa-ta'-nu-a,  ) 

\  to  rob  or  steal, 
a-ta-nu-a,      J 

steel,  bish-ke'-rali -u-a,  a  steel  for  striking  fire. 

stick,  de-sa'-cik,  to  stick. 

still,  ko-tak',  keep  still !  quiet !  stop  ! 

ko-tak'-mi-ne-ki'-shi  (imp.),  stop  drinking  water, 
tsis,  keep  still ! 
ka-tsi'-se,  still !  be  quiet ! 
stir,  pa'-pa,  to  stir  up,  as  in  a  kettle. 
stirrup,  ma-nu'-ze,  and  ba-de'-i-can-a-sa'-she. 
stomach,  i-ah'-e. 
stone,  niik,  and  mi'-a. 

mi-a'-ra-ka-tse,  a  gravel-bank,  gravel-stones, 
mi-e-hi'-a,  a  war-club  made  of  stone, 
mi-de-ali'-e,  a  flint-stone. 
i-mali -ah'-i-u,  a  whetstone. 
stop,  i-ma-shi'-o,  to  stop. 

a-tsi'-sa,  to  delay  a  little,  to  stop, 
tsi-tsi'-pe,  to  stop,  obstruct,  to  put  in  the  way. 
storm,  hu-pu'-me. 

straighten,  ba-tsih-yuli'-at,  to  straighten,  as  an  arrow 
or  ramrod. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF    THE    MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


417 


ta-t-o',  •) 

•   straight,  not  crooked, 
ka-ra-tats  -yat,  j 

bah-a-na'-mili,  to  ruakc  anything  straight, 
strap,  ku-si'-re,  any  kind  of  leather  strap, 
strawberry,  ko-slii'-te. 
stream,  um'-pa-se,  up  tlie  stream. 

bu-ru'-a-ka-se,  down  the  stream, 
strike,  ma'-nesh-tash'-tu-e,  to  strike  or  whip,  as   to 

whip  the  dust  off  of  cloth. 
strip,  is-ba-dtish'-te,  to  strip  one  naked. 

bas-be'-bo-rOsh'-tik,  I  stripped  something, 
strong,  i-ci'-uk,  strength. 

i-ru'-kash,  strong,  hard,  as  to  strike  hard, 
suck,  a-tsi'-a,  to  suck. 
suffer,  rua-i-ni'-shek,  to  suffer. 
sugar,  bat-sih-u'-a. 
summer,  mi-e-inali'-e. 
sun,  a-ka'-she. 

a-ra-ka'-shc,  sunlight. 
superfine,  ba-ruli'-pe-rOt,  superior,  there  is  nothing 

like  it. 

surprised,  i'-sa-si-u,  to  wonder,  to  be  surprised, 
suspender,  ba-shi'-she-kai,  suspenders  to  hold  up  the 

leggins. 
swallow,  Im-pi'-e-sa-te. 

a-ma-ko'-mish-tsish-c-a'-su-a,  nests  of  bank 

swallows. 
swan,  mi-ne-ci'-e. 
sweet,  tsih-u'-a. 

swell,  ta-pu'-she,  to  swell  up,  from  inflammation. 
swim,  mi' -me,  to  swim, 
sword,  nun-i-she'. 

T. 

take,  ru'-shi-bi,  to  take  off,  as  a  saddle  from  a  horse, 
ru'-te  (imp.),  take  it. 
dis-mit-si'-e-ru'-te  (imp.),  take  thy  knife, 
hi-te'  (imp.),  take  it. 
ku-ra-ta'  (imp.),  take  from, 
taste,  ko-pik',  to  taste,  tasting. 
tattoo,  ih-i-e'-ra-pe',  to  prick  colored  images  into  the 
skin. 

tear,  i-nuli'-etsli,    •) 

[  to  tear  or  rend, 
tun -c-tsu,       ) 

tears,  is-tum'-ne,  water  from  the  eyes. 


that,  i-ad-bi-ruh'-pa-ka,  that  person,  those  persons. 

i-a6-ina-no'-a,  those  things, 
thaw,  shi-shu'-shik,  to  thaw, 
thick,  i-rop'-kat,  large,  thick. 
think,  ba-ci'-ce-wat'-sik,  I  think. 

ko-tin-pac',  I  think  so. 
thirsty,  a-kuc'-ik,  to  be  thirsty. 
this,  hin-i'-a-te,  this,  this  one. 

hin-i'-at-kat,  is  this  what  you  are  looking  for?  in 

answer  to  a  question, 
hi-de'-dek,  this  person,  or  a  person  here, 
hi-ded'-bi-ruli'-pa-ka,  these  persons, 
thread,  ba-tsu-pu'-a. 
through,  tsu-ka-slk',  through  any  object. 

tsi-ru'-shek,  gone  through  and  through, 
throw,  a-muli'-i-a,  to  throw  away, 
thumb,  is-mu'-se. 
thunder,  su'-a. 

su'-ni-cek,  the  thunder-bird,  that  roars  in  the 

distance. 
tie,  bali-tsi'-mih,  a  knot,  a  noose,  a  tie. 

bali-tsi'-ma-si-tsi-mik,  to  tie,  to  bind,  to  join  any 
thing. 

deli'-ci,   ) 

[•  to  tie  anything, 
tu'-sa,      ) 

tinder,  mi-ni'-te,  tinder,  spunk. 

tired,  a-push'-a-he,  to  be  tired. 

tobacco,  o'-pe,   the   common   tobacco   of  commerce. 

Nicotiana. 

o'-pi-she,  Indian  tobacco.     Lobelia. 
o'-pi-she-ba'-tsu-a,  the  leaves  of  Indian  to 
bacco-plant. 

op'-mi-o,  to  smoke  tobacco. 
6p'-te-wits,  to  mix  tobacco  with  bark  or  leaves, 

as  kinnic-kinnic. 

o'-pe-di-nih t-shu'-rne,  to  bring  tobacco, 
op'-ti-a-wa,  to  put  tobacco  in  a  pipe, 
o'-pi-she-ot-wa'-mih,  to  dry  tobacco  by  the 

fire, 
to-day,  ka-na'-shik. 

hin-e-ma'-pe,  this  day,  to-day, 
toe,  ic-a-re'-te-be. 
together,  bat-sah'-puk, 
bat'-sa-wali, 


uk,   ) 

>•   together,  in  company, 
li,     ) 


418 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY  AND  PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


tough,  tenacious. 


bat'-sa-wali-ma'-ni-nio-uk,  walking  together. 
bat'-sa-wali-pe'-mo-uk,  sleeping  all  together. 
bat'-sa-wal'i-pa'-wa-ku-re'-mo-uk,  to  run  to 

gether. 
bat'-sa-wali-pa'-wa-pa'-mo-uk,     to    slay    or 

slaughter  together. 
bat'-sa-wali-pe'-mu-shi'-uk-a-shi,  to  throw  the 

lodges  together  in  one  place. 
bat'-sa-wali-pe'-shi-uk-aub-sa'-ro-kc,  to  have 

the  Crows  altogether  in  one  place. 
to-morrow,  tsi-nak-<5i'-uk. 
tongue,  de'-ze,  the  tongue. 

de-zish'-ka,  the  palate. 

de-za'-ze,  Tongue    River,    a    branch  of    the 

Yellowstone. 
tooth,  bi'-e,  and  i'-e. 
toothache,  i-e-rek'. 
top,  ak'-a-da,  on  the  top  of  anything. 

tough,  tsi-tsu'-tse,    > 

(. 

tsi-tsu'-tsih,  J 

trade,  ma-esh-tsi-we'-mili,  to  trade. 
truthful,  m'i'-shi-sak,  to  speak  straight. 
turn,  ta-bali-u',  to  turn  over. 
turtle,  na'-ko,  a  soft-shelled  turtle. 
two,  nu'-pe-re,  both. 

ni-n5mp'-ta,  you  two,  both  of  you. 

U. 

under,  bik-sa'-tsi-sa-re,  under,  underneath. 
understand,  h'u-a-ka'-re-e'-wa-tsili,  I  understand  it  all. 
untie,  bu-ru-ship'-mik,  to  untie  a  knot  or  noose. 

V. 
valley,  o-ma'-re-eu'-ke. 

au-bat-su'-a,  Wounded-man  Valley. 
vapor,  a-ma-shi'-e,  fog. 
vein,  a-pi-de',  the  jugular  vein. 
vermilion,  a-mali'-o-me,  red  coloring  material. 

o'-me,  a  red  earth,  used  by  the  Crows  for 

painting. 
virtuous,  ba-bu'-ro-ke. 


W. 


wagon,  wa'-pa-ta-tsi. 


waist,  ba-da-c'-haij-sup'-te. 

wait,  o-tsi-ek-me-o'-ne,  ) 

v   to  wait,  to  delay, 
a-mo-nik,  ) 

o-tci'-e  (imp.),  stop. 
wake,  ka-ni'-ta,  to  wake  up. 

it-sek',  to  wake  up,  as  from  a  sleep, 
wampum,  ba-da-ali'-e-da-ha'-ro-ka'-te. 
warm,  it-si-tum'-ek,  to  warm. 

a-rek',  the  weather  is  warm, 
a'-re,  hot. 
war-party,  doli'-a. 

om-pa-te',  a  war-club,  pogamoggin. 
wash,  i-shu'-me,  to  wash. 

bili'-ta-sa-pi-a'-a-ni-shu'-mi,  to  wash  clothes. 
wasp,  is-ce'-de-ka'-she,  yellow-jacket,  the  insect  that 

bites  with  its  tail. 
water,  min'-e. 

inin'-e-ka'-wi,  bad  water,  whiskey, 
mm'-e-shi-pit'-e,  black  water,  coffee, 
min'-a-nali'-e,  the  noise  of  water  rolling  over 

stones,  a  waterfall, 
min'-e-pah'-u,  to  spill  water, 
min-e'-is-nu'-mik,  to  drink  water, 
min-eli'-pi-ra',  to  sprinkle,  as  water, 
min'-e-ma'-a-muk,  deep  water, 
min'-e-liep'-kat,  shallow  water, 
min'-e-a'-^e,  river  water, 
min-e'-bu-lie',  foam  on  water, 
min-e'-ma-ku'-me,  pike-poles,  to  push  a  boat  in 

the  river. 

min'-e-tum'-e,  Hot-spring  Valley, 
min'-e-ni-net'-e,  the  water  that  does  not  run, 

Big  Rose-bud, 
min'-e-ro-c'i'-pe,   the  water  that  drives,  Cross 

Creek. 

min'-e-tum'-e-az-ka'-te,   Warm    Water   Creek. 
The  ice  never  freezes  over  this  creek.    A 
branch  of  the  Yellowstone, 
min-e-pu'-e-bi-shc,  smoky  water, 
min'-ic-ke-az-ka'-te,  Lake  Fork  of  Bird  River, 
min-e'-nits,  rapids  in  the  river, 
min-its-ke'-i-se,  the  sea,  big  water, 
min-it' -si-6uli'-e,  a  little  lake, 
rnin'-e-tsi-e',  a  lake. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


419 


min-e'-tsi-ka'-ta,  willow-bushes, 
min-it-shi'-re,  yellow  willow, 
min-e'-i-ta'-ri,  the  common  willow. 

ma-ha',   ) 

[•  a  spring  of  water, 
ma-he,   J 

ma-he',  to  boil  up,  as  water  from  a  spring, 
ma-ha'-e-ho,  a  multitude  of  springs, 
ma-mi'-mih,  to  walk  in  the  water, 
i'-e-pu'-lie,  to  weep,  to  make  water  come  from 
the  eyes ;  the  name  of  a  hill   or  butte  on 
Crazy  Woman's  Fork,  a  branch  of  Powder 
lliver. 

weak,  ba-ba'-<5ek,  feeble. 
wealthy,  ba-e'-tsili,  rich. 

weapon,  bat'-su-rek,    -\  any  kind  of  defensive  weapon 
ba-ba-ku'-ra,  J      used  as  arms, 
ma-e-tsi'-pe,  a  battle-axe. 
wear,  i-e-ke'-be,  to  wear,  as  clothes, 
weasel,  u'-te. 
weed,  ba-de-i-cap'-de-ke,  a  nettle  weed. 

ba-a-pa'-ne,  any  kind  of  weed, 
well,  hin'-e-et-de'-te,  healthy,  well. 

lai-tho-ke',  it  is  well. 
wet,  a-gi'-tsili. 
what,  sap. 

sa'-pa,  what  is  it  ? 
sa-pe',  who  is  it  ? 

sa-pali'-pi-ra,  what  are  you  looking  after  1 
sap-ti'-re,  what  are  you  doing  ? 
sap'-te,  why  is  it  ? 
sa'-me,  how  much?  how  many? 
ma-no'-e-sa'-pa,  what  thing  is  it  ? 
hin'-e-sa'-pa,  what  is  that  ? 
i'-mi-she,  what  is  it  ?  tell  me. 
where,  sho. 

sho'-rak,  where  is  it? 

sho'-tats,  how  do  you  do? 

sho-te'-ra,  where?  in  what  place? 

sho-ta'-ce,  how?  in  what  way? 

sho'-ka,  where  is  that  ? 

shosh'-te-re,  where  are  you  going  ? 

sho'-i-ni-6i'-re,  when  ?    when  is  it  ?    at  what 

time? 
whip,  is'-a-sin'-it-se,  and  it-si' -rit-se,  a  riding  whip. 


whistling,  ki'-o-shik,  the  whistling  of  the  male  elk. 
white,  tsi'-c-kat. 

sho'-rush,  a  white  root. 
wife,  u'-a. 
wild,  ak-se'-re-te. 
wind,  ho'-de. 

sah-ik',  wind  from  the  stomach, 
ap-ce',  windpipe, 
no-mi'-na,  to  wind  up  anything. 
window,  ba-sa-she'. 
winter,  ma-se',  and  ma'-na. 
wipe,  ku-ru-sili',  to  wipe, 
wish,  ma-o-ne'-cik,  to  wish, 
within,  o-mu'-e-ke. 
without,  o-me'-na-ku. 

wolf,  tse'-e-te,  a  large  wolf.      Canis  occidentalis. 
tse'-e-c'e,  a  mad  wolf, 
tse'-e-te-a-pish',  a  wolf's  nose, 
bu'-a-ta,  prairie  wolf.     Canis  latrans. 
woman,  mi'-e. 

mi'-e-ka-te,  a  girl, 
mi'-e-do^ki'-se,  a  bashful  woman, 
mi'-e-e'-pe,  a  jealous  woman, 
mi'-e-ba-bu'-ro-ke,  a  virtuous  woman, 
mi'-e-ka'-te-ba-bu'-ro-ke,  a  virtuous  girl, 
mi'-e-ka'-nis-te,  a  young  woman, 
ka-ne-ka'-te,  an  old  woman, 
wonder,  ba-ra-<5e-ra'-shik. 

wood,  ma'-na,  •) 

[•  wood,  or  a  tree, 
ma-ne,    ) 

ma'-ne-a-pe'-ta-ni'-o,    leaves    falling   from   the 

trees. 

ma-ne'-sat-sili,  a  small  strip  of  wood,  a  splinter, 
ma-ne' -ka,  a  small  piece  of  wood, 
ma-ne'-ba-sa'-bi-sho-shu'-ru-e,  a  piece  of  wood 

with  a  spear-point  in  the  end,  a  javelin, 
ma'-ne-pi-ru'-pe,  a  war-club  filled  with  nails. 
ma'-ne-sa-6e',  a  forest,  or  grove  of  trees. 
ma'-ne-6i'-te,  green  wood. 
ma'-ne-cV-se,  dry  wood, 
ma'-ne-u'-she,  the  root  of  a  tree, 
rna'-ne-ho'-pe,  a  hollow  log  or  tree, 
ma'-ne-hi'-te,  rotten  wood. 
ma'-ne-pa'-ce;  a  wooden  picket,  stake. 


420 


ON    THE    ETHNOGRAPHY    AND    PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


ma'-ne-ta'-rc,  swoct  cottoiiwood. 

ma'-ne-a'-ke-de,  in  the  tree. 

ma'-ne-sho'-pe,  a  game  vpith  sticks,  played  by 
the  women. 

ma'-na-po'-he,  quaking  asp. 

ma-na'-ke-da,  up  a  tree. 

ma'-na-ma'-ta-ta-tsi,  scattering  trees. 

ma-na-kat',  the  color  of  wood,  wood  color. 

ma-ni'-ali-c,  flood  or  drift-wood. 

ini-mo'-e-ma'-ne,  a  tree  standing  in  the  water. 

pe'-ri-cis-ma'-ne,  a  large  willow.     Salix. 
work,  i-ba'-di-o,  to  work, 
wound,  a-hu'-ra-buli'-e,  a  fresh  wound, 
wrist,  its-ka'-she. 

its-kis'-kip-e,  the  arm  from  elbow  to  wrist. 


mili-tse'-mi-tse,  a  string  of  beads,  used  as  an 
ornament  for  the  wrist. 


y. 

yawn,  mi'-sa-tsili,  to  yawn,  to  gape. 
yellow,  shi'-ri-kat. 

ok-shi'-re,  chrome  yellow. 
yes,  kot,  to  be  sure,  certainly,  yes. 
yesterday,  hu-ra2'. 
yonder,  i'-e-c'ek. 

i-e6',  yonder  it  is. 
you,  di  (personal  pronoun). 
yours,  dis  (possessive  pronoun). 


CHAPTER     XVIII. 

XI.     MlNNITAIlEES. 
ETHNOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

THE  Minnitarees,  or  Gros  Venires  as  they  are  called  by  the  traders,  formerly  inhabited 
a  mud  village  near  the  Mandans,  when  the  latter  were  situated  at  Fort  Clarke,  with  whom 
they  have  always  sustained  friendly  relations.  The  construction  of  their  houses  is  the 
same  as  that  of  the  Mandans  and  Arikaras,  as  also  are  their  usual  occupations.  Small 
patches  of  corn,  beans,  squashes,  pumpkins,  and  a  few  other  vegetables,  have  been  culti 
vated  by  them  from  the  earliest  period  known,  even  to  the  present  time. 

When  living  with  the  Mandans  at  Fort  Clarke  they  numbered  about  one  hundred  and 
twenty  lodges,  averaging  five  souls  to  a  lodge,  making  an  aggregate  of  six  hundred 
persons,  but  having  suffered  by  the  small-pox  at  the  same  time  with  the  Mandans,  were 
reduced  to  forty  lodges,  and  these  thinly  peopled  and  badly  provided.  In  this  condition 
they  removed  to  a  large  prairie  sixty  miles  above  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  At 
this  point  they  now  reside,  and  their  village  is  composed  of  about  eighty  huts,  which  are 
tolerably  well  filled  with  occupants. 

The  similarity  of  their  language  with  that  of  the  Crows  shows  plainly  that  they  were 
formerly  the  same  people,  each  being  able  to  talk  with  and  understand  each  other  without 
much  difficulty,  though  their  long  separation  has  caused  some  variation,  as  will  be  seen  by 
comparing  the  annexed  vocabularies.  No  trace  of  their  origin  or  migration  from  other 


INDIAN   TRIBES  OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  421 

lands  is  now  left,  but  many  traditions  are  told  of  their  creation,  which  are  reliable  only 
as  forming  a  part  of  their  mythology  and  affording  some  index  to  their  intellectual  status. 

These  Indians  should  not  be  confounded  with  the  Atsinas  or  Fall  Indians,  who  inhabit 
the  country  of  the  Blackfeet.  The  languages  of  the  two  tribes  are  entirely  distinct,  nor 
do  we  know  that  they  have  ever  held  any  association  with  each  other  whatever,  or  ever 
been  at  war  with  each  other.  This  is  the  only  tribe  in  the  Northwest  to  which  the  name 
Minnitaree  is  in  any  way  applicable  or  proper.  Lewis  and  Clarke  present  us  with  a  very 
complete  view  of  the  condition  of  the  stationary  tribes  of  the  Upper  Missouri  as  they  saw 
them  in  1804.  In  order  that  we  may  compare  their  history  and  condition  at  that  time 
with  their  present  state,  we  will  quote  the  following  paragraphs  from  the  excellent  Journal 
of  Lewis  and  Clarke,  which,  from  the  well-known  character  of  the  travellers,  and  their 
advantages  for  obtaining  information,  we  suppose  to  be  in  every  way  reliable. 

"  The  villages  near  which  we  are  established  are  five  in  number,  and  are  the  residence 
of  three  distinct  nations :  the  Mandans,  the  Ahnahaways,  and  the  Minnitarees.  The  his 
tory  of  the  Mandans,  as  we  received  it  from  our  interpreters,  and  from  the  chiefs  them 
selves,  and  as  it  is  attested  by  existing  monuments,  illustrates,  more  than  that  of  any  other 
nation,  the  unsteady  movements  and  the  tottering  fortunes  of  the  American  nations. 
Within  the  recollection  of  living  witnesses,  the  Mandans  were  settled  forty  years  ago  in 
nine  villages,  the  ruins  of  which  we  passed  about  eighty  miles  below,  and  situated  seven 
on  the  west  and  two  on  the  east  side  of  the  Missouri.  The  two  finding  themselves  wasting 
away  before  the  small-pox  and  the  Sioux,  united  in  one  village  and  moved  up  the  river 
opposite  to  the  Bicaras.  The  same  causes  reduced  the  remaining  seven  to  five  villages, 
till  at  length  they  emigrated  in  a  body  to  the  Ilicara  nation,  where  they  formed  themselves 
into  two  villages,  and  joined  those  of  their  countrymen  who  had  gone  before  them.  In 
their  new  residence  they  were  still  insecure,  and  at  length  the  three  villages  ascended  the 
Missouri  to  their  present  position.  The  two  who  had  emigrated  together  still  settled  in 
the  two  villages  on  the  northwest  side  of  the  Missouri,  while  the  single  village  took  a 
position  on  the  southeast  side.  In  this  situation  they  were  found  by  those  who  visited 
them  in  1796,  since  which  the  two  villages  have  united  into  one.  They  are  now  in  two 
villages,  one  on  the  southeast  of  the  Missouri,  the  other  on  the  opposite  side,  and  at  the 
distance  of  three  miles  across.  The  first,  in  an  open  plain,  contains  about  forty  or  fifty 
lodges,  built  in  the  same  way  as  those  of  the  Ricaras ;  the  second  the  same  number ;  and 
both  may  raise  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  men. 

"On  the  same  side  of  the  river,  and  at  the  distance  of  four  miles  from  the  lower  Mandan 
village,  is  another,  called  Mahaha.  It  is  situated  on  a  high  plain  at  the  mouth  of  Knife 
River,  and  is  the  residence  of  the  Ahnahaways.  This  nation,  whose  name  indicates  that 
they  were  '  people  whose  village  is  on  a  hill,'  formerly  resided  on  the  Missouri,  about  thirty 


422  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

miles  below  where  they  now  live.  The  Assiniboins  and  Sioux  forced  them  to  a  spot  five 
miles  higher,  where  the  greatest  part  of  them  were  put  to  death,  and  the  rest  emigrated 
to  their  present  situation,  in  order  to  obtain  an  asylum  near  the  Mirmitarees.  They  are 
called  by  the  French,  Soulier  Noir,  or  Shoe  Indians ;  by  the  Mandans,  Wattasoons,  and 
their  whole  force  is  about  fifty  men. 

"  On  the  south  side  of  the  same,  Knife  River,  half  a  mile  above  the  Mahaha,  and  in 
the  same  open  plain  with  it,  is  a  village  of  Minnitarees  surnamed  Metaharta,  who  are 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  in  number.  On  the  opposite  side  of  Knife  River,  and 
one  and  a  half  miles  above  this  village,  is  a  second  village  of  Minnitarees,  Avho  may  be 
considered  as  the  proper  Minnitaree  nation.  It  is  situated  in  a  beautiful,  low  plain,  and 
contains  four  hundred  and  fifty  Avarriors.  The  accounts  which  we  received  of  the  Minni 
tarees  were  contradictory.  The  Mandans  say  that  this  people  came  out  of  the  water  to 
the  east  and  settled  near  them  in  their  former  establishment,  in  nine  villages ;  that  they 
were  very  numerous,  and  fixed  themselves  in  one  village  on  the  southern  side  of  the  Mis 
souri.  A  quarrel  about  a  buffalo  divided  the  nation,  of  which  two  bands  went  into  the 
plains,  and  were  known  by  the  name  of  Crow  and  Paunch  Indians,  and  the  rest  moved 
to  their  present  establishment.  The  Minnitarees  proper  assert,  on  the  contrary,  that  they 
grew  where  they  now  live,  and  will  never  emigrate  from  the  spot,  the  Great  Spirit  having 
declared  that  if  they  moved  they  would  all  die.  They  also  say  that  the  Minnitarees  Me 
taharta,  that  is,  Minnitarees  of  the  Willows,  whose  language,  with  very  little  variation,  is 
their  own,  came  many  years  ago  from  the  plains,  and  settled  near  them ;  and  perhaps  the 
two  traditions  may  be  reconciled  by  the  natural  presumption  that  these  Minnitarees  were 
the  tribe  known  to  the  Mandans  below,  and  that  they  ascended  the  river  for  the  purpose 
of  rejoining  the  Minnitarees  proper.  These  Minnitarees  are  part  of  the  great  nation  called 
Fall  Indians,  who  occupy  the  intermediate  country  between  the  Missouri  and  the  Saskat 
chewan,  and  who  are  known  by  the  name  of  Minnitarees  of  the  Missouri,  and  Minnitarees 
of  Fort  de  Prairie,  that  is,  residing  near,  or  rather  frequenting,  the  establishment  in  the 
prairie  on  the  Saskatchewan.  These  Minnitarees,  indeed,  told  us  that  they  had  relations 
on  the  Saskatchewan  whom  they  had  never  known  till  they  met  them  in  war,  and  having 
engaged  in  the  night,  were  astonished  at  discovering  that  they  were  fighting  with  men 
who  spoke  their  own  language.  The  name  of  Gros  Vcntres,  or  Big-bellies,  is  given  to 
these  Minnitarees,  as  well  as  to  all  the  Fall  Indians.  The  inhabitants  of  these  five  vil 
lages,  all  of  which  are  within  the  distance  of  six  miles,  live  in  harmony  with  each  other. 
The  Ahnahaways  understand  in  part  the  language  of  the  Minnitarees  ;  the  dialect  of  the 
Mandans  differs  widely  from  both ;  but  their  long  residence  together  has  insensibly 
blended  their  manners,  and  occasioned  some  approximation  in  language,  particularly  as  to 
objects  of  daily  occurrence  and  obvious  to  the  senses." 


INDIAN   TKIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  423 

Brackenridge  says  that  there  are  remnants  of  seventeen  villages  of  Mandans  and  Gros 
Ventres.  They  are  included  in  seven  villages ;  five  of  the  Gros  Ventres,  and  two  of  the 
Mandans,  within  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles.  He  says,  that  though  there  is  not  the  least 
affinity  in  their  languages,  the  Gros  Ventres  is  spoken  by  all  the  Mandans. 

Morse  probably  over-estimated  the  number  of  the  Minnitarees.  He  observes  that  they 
number  3250  persons,  have  their  village  on  the  south  side  of  the  Missouri,  east  of  the 
Little  Missouri,  about  half  way  between  the  Mandans  and  the  Yellowstone. 

Say,  in  the  account  of  Long's  Expedition  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  presents  a  very  in 
teresting  account  of  the  customs,  habits,  and  religious  opinions  of  this  tribe,  but  in  Prince 
Neuwied's  excellent  work,  before  alluded  to,  the  most  minute  and  accurate  description  of 
the  Minnitarees  is  given  which  can  be  found  in  any  memoir.  He  says,  however,  that  the 
word  "  Manitarie"  was  given  by  the  Mandans,  and  signifies  "  those  who  came  over  the 
water."  From  the  most  reliable  information  which  I  could  obtain,  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  the  true  meaning  is  "  people  of  the  willows."  This  opinion  is  farther  strengthened, 
from  the  fact  that  a  species  of  willow,  most  abundant  in  the  Minnitaree  country,  is  called 
in  their  language,  min'-i-it-a'-ri,  "growing  by  the  water." 

The  present  location  of  the  stationary  tribes  of  the  Upper  Missouri  is  as  follows.  The 
village  of  the  Minnitarees  is  situated  on  the  north  branch  of  the  Missouri,  near  latitude 
47°  30',  and  longitude  102°.  The  village  of  the  Arikaras  is  located  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Missouri,  at  Fort  Clarke,  in  latitude  47°,  longitude  101°,  and  the  Mandan  village  is  on 
the  same  side  of  the  river,  and  about  four  miles  above  the  last. 

Several  vocabularies  of  the  Minnitaree  language  have  been  already  published,  but  the 
only  ones  worthy  of  note  are,  by  Professor  T.  Say,  in  Long's  "  Expedition  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains,"  and  by  Prince  Neuwied,  in  his  "  Travels  in  North  America."  In  the  Trans 
actions  of  the  American  Ethnological  Society,  Vol.  II,  Gallatin  proved  very  clearly  the 
affinities  of  the  Minnitaree  with  the  Crow  language,  and  that  both  of  them  belonged  to 
the  Sioux  or  Dakota  stock. 

In  treating  of  the  stationary  tribes,  no  mention  has  been  made  of  the  extent  of  their 
lands,  or  of  the  portion  of  territory  they  claim  as  their  own.  Properly  speaking,  they 
have  no  land,  except  their  corn-fields,  and  the  prairie  immediately  around  and  defended 
by  their  village.  The  moment  they  leave  their  huts,  they  are  liable  to  be  attacked  and 
driven  back  by  the  Dakotas.  The  Arikaras,  when  they  leave  their  homes,  hunt  in  the 
Dakota  country,  and  by  their  permission,  whilst  the  Minnitarees  depend  on  their  peace 
able  relations  with  the  Assiniboins  when  engaged  in  hunting,  as  they  do  annually  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Great  Bend,  In  case  of  a  general  war,  none  of  the  stationary  Indians 
could  leave  their  village  at  all.  They  are  too  few  to  contend  with  the  surrounding  tribes, 
and  even  if  united,  would  not  be  able  to  sustain  a  position  in  the  Dakota  country  without 
VOL.  xir. — 54 


424 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


the  shelter  of  their  mud  cabins.  Still,  from  Apple  River  below  to  the  Great  Bend  of  the 
Missouri  above,  the  country  is  more  hunted  by  these  Indians  than  by  any  others,  and 
consequently,  it  may  be  called  the  territory  of  the  three  tribes  residing  in  mud  villages, 
though  in  reality  it  is  neutral  ground  belonging  to  particular  tribes. 


VOCABULARY   OF   THE   MINNITAREE   DIALECT   OF   THE   ATJB-SA-RO-KE    OR   CROW   LANGUAGE. 


above,  ma-ku'-ka. 

afraid,  bi-di'-tu,  I  am  afraid. 

alive,  i'-di. 

all,  huk-a-he'-ta. 

ankle,  i'-6a-re-shu'-ka. 

antelope,  uh'-i. 

arm,  a-ra'. 

arrow,  a-ru'-ti-sha. 

autumn,  ma-ta'. 

axe,  bi-ip-sa'. 

back,  ish-i-te'-ru. 

bad,  ish-i'-a. 

beard,  i-ki'. 

black,  shi-pish'-a. 

bladder,  u'-shi-ka-ruh'-e. 

blood,  i'-de. 

blue,  she-pa'-6i. 

boat,  ma'-te. 

body,  a-hu'-a. 

bone,  ma'-di-ki. 

bow,  bi-ru'-lia-pa'-ro-wa. 

boy,  ma-ka-ris'-te-mat'-se,   a  little 

boy. 

breast,  e'-wa-ki. 
breechcloth,  ma'-i-dip-sha'-ki. 
brother,  ba'-ta-wa'-6e. 
bull,  ki'-ro-pi. 
burn,  o'-te,  to  burn, 
by,  u-te'-ru. 

tut-a',  by  and  by. 

calf,  na-ka-ci'-ri. 
call,  ba-ki-ko'-ha. 
chickadee,  is-ko-pi'. 
chief,  bau-tse'-it-se. 
coat,  ma-i-to'-ke. 


cold,  di-di'-a. 
cow,  bi-ti'-a. 

bi-ta-ka'-sha,  a  young  cow. 
crow,  pe-rit-ska'. 
cry,  i-bi'. 

dance,  di'-sha,  to  dance. 

day,  ma'-pi. 

dead,  ta'-ih. 

deer,  <:i-ca'-pi-sha,  black-tailed  deer. 

die,  desh. 

dog,  bi-de'-de. 

6i'-pa,  prairie  dog. 
drink,  ma-ce'-ko-di,  to  drink. 
duck,  mi-hah'-a. 

ear,  a'-pa. 
earth,  a-wa'. 
eating,  ba-ru'-te. 
enemy,  ma-i-ha'. 
eye,  is-ta'. 

face,  bi-ta'. 
far  off,  ti'-ti. 
father,  ta-tish'. 
fin,  i-to'-i-ka-te. 
finger,  sha-ki'-nu. 
fire,  bi'-da. 
fish,  bu'-a. 

bu-a-ka'-te,  a  catfish. 

bu-a-na'-ka,  roe  of  a  fish. 

bu-a-ca'-she,  small  fish, 
flesh,  a-ru'-du. 
flint,  ba-ci-ka'-sha. 
foot,  ma'-6i. 
forever,  ko-6i'-te. 
friend,  ba-e-ku'-e. 


girl,  ma-ka-ris'-ti-mi'-a,  a  little  girl. 

go,  da,  to  go. 

good,  sa-ki'. 

great,  a-ru'-ke-ri'-6i. 

green,  to-lush'. 

gun,  o-wut'-se-we-du'-lia. 

hail,  ma-ka-pit'-a-wi. 

hair,  a-da'. 

hand,  sha-ke'. 

handsome,  sa-ki-ku'-a. 

hawk,  mu-ki'-ra-ki. 

head,  a'-tu. 

head-dress,  ma-i-shu'-a-po-ka. 

hear,  bi-ke-ku'-a,  to  hear. 

heart,  na-ta'. 

heaven,  a-pali'-e-ru'-she. 

heel,  i'-ce-ki. 

hill,  it-i'. 

hot,  bi-ca'-we. 

house,  a'-ma-ti. 

husband  (my),  ma-ki'-da. 

I,  bi. 

ice,  ba-ru'-lie. 
in,  a-ma-hu'-ru. 
Indian,  hi-na-tsa'. 

kettle,  bi-duli'-e. 
kill,  ti'-pe,  to  kill, 
knee,  e-re-shu'-ka. 
•  knife,  ba-6i'. 

lake,  bi-di'-ka-ku'-pe. 
laugh,  ba-ka'. 
leg,  i-di'-ke. 
leggin,  hop-ce'. 
light,  a-muli'-a-hi. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


425 


lightning,  ka-di'-ka. 
live,  i-dits',  to  live, 
liver,  au-pi-sha'. 
love,  ba-ki-dush'-i. 

man,  bau-tse'. 

ba-shi',  a  white  man. 
mast,  ma-re-ko'-peh-e-hum'-pa. 
midday,  bi-di-wa'-pa-re-pe'-hi. 
midnight,  bi-di-i'-nuk-pi. 
moon,  ma'-ku-mi'-di. 
morning,  bi-da-ha'-ru-te. 
mother,  i-kush'. 
mountain,  a-ma-ha'-wi. 
mouth,  a-pu'-a-te. 

nail,  sha-kili'-pu. 

navel,  ma'-i-te-re'-pa. 

near,  au-tsa-ka'-ti. 

neck,  ain'-pa. 

never,  huk-a-hi'-ta. 

night,  o'-ksi. 

no,  de'-sha. 

nose,  ma-pa'. 

nothing,  ba-ru-a-na'-shesh. 

oar,  i'-e-ho'-ke. 
old,  hi'-e. 
on,  di-ki'-di. 
owl,  da-ku'-pe. 

part,  su'-ta. 

people,  a-ma-she',  people  who  live 

in  mud  houses. 
pepper,  bi-di-ho'-ha-ta. 
perhaps,  ha-she-ic'-ki. 
pipe,  ki'-pi. 
plain,  a-ma'-ra-su'-ka. 
polecat,  hu'-ke. 

rain,  ha'-re. 

red,  hish'-e. 

ring,  ma-sha'-ki-o-psa'-ki,  brass  ring. 

river,  a'-ze. 


a-ze-ka-ris'-ta,  a  small  river 
run,  hi-ru'-te. 

salt,  au'-ma-ho'-ta. 

sash,  ma'-i-pat-su'-a. 

scale,  bu-i-shi'-she. 

scalp,  a'-da-du. 

sea,  bi-di-ti'-a. 

seat,  ma-a-shi'-ta-ra-hu'-pi. 

see,  au-muk'-auk,  to  see. 

sheep,  a-shi-ti'-a,  big-horn. 

shell,   o-tish'-ka;   shells    for  orna 
ment. 

shoe,  bi-di-hom'-pa. 

ba-du-shi'-ish,  to  untie'shoes 

shot-pouch,  bi-rut'-se-pi-she. 

shoulder,  a-ri-ru'. 

sinew,  bau'-tsu-a. 

sing,  ma-ke-pa'-hi,  to  sing. 

sister  (my),  ba-ta-wi'-a. 

skin,  dali'-pe. 

sky,  a-pali'-e. 

small,  ka-rish'-ta. 

snipe,  a-pit'-sa. 

snow,  ma'-pi. 

something,  ma-ho'-a-wi'-tu. 

son  (my),  ba-di-sha'. 

sour,  a-da'-wi. 

speak,  ba-de'. 

spear,  bi-re'-te-ru-te. 

spring,  ma-ha'  (season). 

bi-a-ha'-ku-te,  spring,  foun 
tain  . 

squirrel,  ko-kok'-shi,  prairie  squir 
rel. 

star,  i'-ka. 
stomach,  e'-di. 
strike,  ma'-di-ki,  to  strike, 
strong,  it-ci'-uk. 
summer,  a-ba'-de. 
sun,  bi-de-wa'-pi. 
sunrise,  ma-pa'-wi-di. 
sunset,  mi-di'-e-wuk'-pi. 
swan,  bi-da'-tuk-i. 
sweet,  si-ku'-a. 


thigh,  ma-na-ta'-ro. 

think,  ba-ki-ri'-she,  to  think. 

thou,  di. 

di-he'-di,  thou,  thyself. 
thread,      ba-e-ke-ka'-ka,      yellow 

thread. 

through,  he-ru'-te. 
thunder,  ta'-ho. 
tie,  ba-ra-tu'-wi,  to  tie. 
tobacco,  o'-pe. 
to-day,  hi-di-ma'-pe. 
toe,  i-ci'-pu-wi. 
to-morrow,  a'-te-ruk. 
tongue,  de'-ze. 
tooth,  i'-a. 
town,  a'-ti. 

turkey,  si-ah'-ti. 

• 

ugly,  i-te'-shi-a. 
under,  bih-ta'-ru. 

valley,  ta-ruli'-te. 
vein,  ma-ho'-i-de. 

walk,  di'-di,  to  walk, 
wampum,  ma-ili'-a-ma-ra-ku'-tse. 
war-club,  mi-re-ku'-tsa. 
warrior,  bau-tse-i'-di-ki. 
water,  bi-di'. 
weak,  ha'-sha. 
what,  ta'-pa. 

ma-ru'-a-ta'-pa,  what  thing  ? 
which,  ta'-pa-t6k,  which  person  or 

thing  ? 

whiskey,  bi-di-a'-ra-wi. 
white,  ili-o-tuk'-e. 
who,  tup-e'. 

wife  (my),  ma-ta'-e-wi'-a. 
wind,  ho'-<5i. 
windpipe,  no'-tish-ka. 
wing,  ili'-pa. 
winter,  ma'-na. 
wish,  hid-ish',  to  wish, 
within,  a-mu-hu'. 


426 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


without,  a-ta-shi'-ku-a. 

wood,  bat-se-ta'-she,  petrified  wood. 

woodpecker,  tosh'-ka. 


woman,  mi'-a. 


year,  a-ma-e-ca. 


yellow,  tsi'-ri. 
yes,  ko-ush'-ik. 
yesterday,  hu-ri-shi'-ru. 


CHAPTER      XIX. 

• 

XII.  MANDANS. 

ETHNOGRAPHICAL   HISTORY. 

ALTHOUGH  one  would  suppose  that  all  the  tribes  of  the  Upper  Missouri,  being  the  same 
barbarous  people,  accustomed  to  like  occupations,  and  possessing  the  same  advantages, 
would  exhibit  no  great  national  difference,  yet  each  tribe  or  nation  has  marked  distinc 
tions  of  character,  as  much  and  even  more,  perhaps,  than  the  several  divisions  of  the  Euro 
pean  race.  This  must  depend,  to  a  great  extent,  upon  their  physical  organization,  for  the 
pursuits  of  all  Indians  inhabiting  the  plains  are  or  should  be  radically  the  same.  Hunt 
ing  and  war,  amusements  and  devotion,  idleness  and  activity,  divide  their  time,  and  would 
without  some  peculiarity  of  constitution  lead  to  a  general  resemblance  of  character.  The 
small  amount  of  agricultural  labor  bestowed  upon  the  soil  by  the  stationary  tribes,  cannot 
be  reckoned  as  an  item  in  their  national  education,  or  as  influencing  the  conduct  of  the 
men,  for  this  is  done  altogether  by  the  women.  The  presence  of  the  men  is  not  required 
in  the  corn-fields,  and  if  found  there,  it  is  from  far  different  purposes  than  aiding  in  the 
work.  The  question  then  arises,  how  it  happens  that  the  Arikaras  present  such  grovelling, 
debased,  and  mean  general  features,  with  scarcely  any  redeeming  qualities,  whilst  the 
Mandans,  residing  but  a  few  miles  distant,  possess  an  almost  opposite  character1? 

The  Mandans,  or  MUli'ta-nes,  "  people  on  the  bank"  (of  the  river),  as  they  call  them 
selves,  must  have  resided  on  the  banks  of  the  Missouri  at  a  very  remote  period,  perhaps 
not  near  their  present  residence,  but  in  several  places  along  the  river.  It  is  also  probable 
that  if  they  migrated  at  all,  they  came  from  a  southern  direction,  as  the  sites  of  different 
villages  of  very  ancient  date  are  seen  along  the  Missouri,  as  low  down  as  the  present 
boundary  between  the  United  States  and  the  Dakota  country.  Some  of  these  antique 
ruins  are  said  to  have  been  Arikara  villages,  which  is  doubtless  the  case.  The  fact  sought 
to  be  established  is,  that  all  these  stationary  tribes  migrated  in  the  same  direction,  from 
southeast  to  northwest  along  this  river,  which  may  be  inferred  from  the  circumstance, 
that  no  remains  of  their  villages  are  to  be  seen  along  any  other  stream  than  the  Missouri, 
nor  are  they  found  in  any  place  on  the  plains. 

Prior  to  the  visit  of  Lewis  and  Clarke  in  the  autumn  of  1804,  very  little  information  of 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF    THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  427 

• 

a  reliable  character  was  known  in  regard  to  the  origin  and  early  history  of  the  Mandans. 
Col.  D.  D.  Mitchell,  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  H.  R.  Schoolcraft,  published  in  the  third  vo 
lume  of  the  "  History  of  the  Indian  Tribes,"  refers  to  an  early  writer  by  the  name  of 
Mackintosh,  who  it  seems  was  connected  with  a  French  trading  company  as  early  as  1772. 
From  his  own  account,  he  left  Montreal  in  the  summer  of  1773,  crossed  over  the  inter 
vening  country,  and  reached  the  Mandan  villages  on  Christmas  day.  He  says  that  at  that 
time,  the  Mandans  occupied  nine  large  towns  situated  very  near  each  other,  and  that  at 
short  notice  they  could  muster  15,000  warriors.  Col.  Mitchell  is  of  the  opinion  that  this 
author  exaggerates  in  his  statistics,  but  that  they  were  a  formidable  nation,  the  ruins  of 
numerous  villages  along  both  sides  of  the  Missouri  bear  ample  testimony.  In  1804,  Lewis 
and  Clarke  speak  of  five  distinct  villages  belonging  to  three  distinct  nations,  viz.,  Mandans, 
Ahnahaways,  and  Minnitarees.  They  also  allude-  to  a  lower  Mandan  village,  called 
"Mahaha."  At  the  present  time,  the  Mandans  occupy  a  small  village  about  three  miles  • 
above  Fort  Clarke,  and  do  not  number  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  or  three  hundred 
souls.  The  Ahnahaways  were  undoubtedly  a  portion  of  the  Mandan  nation,  but  I  cannot 
ascertain  that  any  trace  of  them  exists  at  this  time.  In  1833,  at  the  time  of  the  visit  of 
Prince  Neuwied  to  the  Upper  Missouri,  two  Mandan  villages  were  standing,  the  southern 
village  about  three  hundred  paces  above  Fort  Clarke,  on  the  same  side  of  the  river,  and 
the  other  about  three  miles  higher  up  on  the  same  bank.  It  is  evident  that  the  former 
is  now  occupied  by  the  Arikaras,  while  the  latter  is  in  possession  of  the  small  remnant  of 
the  Mandan  nation  now  living.  At  the  time  of  the  Prince  Neuwied's  visit,  the  first  village 
was  composed  of  sixty-five  huts,  with  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  warriors,  and  the  latter 
of  thirty-eight  huts,  with  eighty-three  warriors,  both  villages,  perhaps,  possessing  nine 
hundred  to  one  thousand  souls. 

Our  knowledge  of  this  nation,  obtained  from  the  American  Fur  Company,  commences 
in  the  year  1829,  when,  through  that  Company,  the  fur  trade  on  the  Upper  Missouri  be 
came  established  on  a  more. solid  basis  than  it  had  been  by  the  French  traders.  Anterior 
to  the  above  date,  the  latter  had  been  trading  with  these  Indians  in  their  usual  way,  by 
'building  wintering  houses,  putting  therein  a  trader  and  a  few  men,  with  a  small  supply 
of  goods,  and  abandoning  the  post  in  the  spring,  taking  with  them  down  the  river  their 
returns  of  furs  and  skins.  At  that  time  the  Mandans  occupied  the  same  village  in  which 
the  Arikaras  now  live,  and  also  had  another  a  few  miles  up  the  river.  The  lower  town 
consisted  of  two  hundred  cabins,  and  the  upper  of  eighty,  both  built  in  every  respect  as 
described  in  the  chapter  relating  to  the  Arikaras,  the  latter,  at  that  time,  occupying  their 
own  village  near  the  mouth  of  Grand  River.  We  thus  see  that  the  account  given  by  the 
American  Fur  Company  of  the  condition  of  the  Mandans  in  1829,  does  not  differ  mate 
rially  from  that  of  the  Prince  Neuwied,  as  observed  by  him  in  1834.  In  the  year  1829, 


428  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

i 

the  American  Fur  Company  erected  Fort  Clarke,  for  the  express  purpose  of  trading  with 
the  Mandans  and  Minnitarees,  the  former  nation  numbering  about  six  hundred  warriors, 
or  eighteen  hundred  souls,  and  the  latter  about  half  as  many. 

It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  notwithstanding  all  the  misfortunes  that  have  befallen  this 
tribe  for  so  many  years,  it  even  to  this  time  preserves  its  independence  and  individuality 
as  a  nation.  Nearly  all  of  the  Mandans  speak  the  Minnitaree  language,  arid  many  of  them 
are  familiar  with  the  Dakota  and  Arikara  tongues,  but  very  few  if  any  of  the  surrounding 
tribes  have  acquired  that  of  the  Mandans.  But  one  white  man  has  ever  learned  to  speak 
the  language  fluently,  and  he  resided  among  them  over  twenty  years.  I  cannot  ascertain 
that  there  are  any  peculiar  difficulties  in  the  sounds  or  structure  of  the  language,  which 
should  prevent  individuals  of  other  nations  from  acquiring  it  readily ;  indeed,  I  think  the 
evidence  is  quite  clear,  as  suggested  by  Mr.  Gallatin,  that  it  is  remotely  allied  to  the 
Dakota  stock,  and  presents  few  if  any  more  obstacles  to  its  acquisition  than  the  other 
dialects  of  that  group. 

In  the  year  1833  these  Indians  were  in  their  most  prosperous  state,  industrious,  well 
armed,  good  hunters  and  good  warriors,  in  the  midst  of  herds  of  buffalo,  mostly  within  sight 
of  the  village,  with  large  corn-fields,  and  a  trading-post,  from  which  they  could  at  all  times 
obtain  supplies,  and  consequently  at>  that  time  they  might  have  been  considered  a  happy 
people.  In  their  personal  appearance,  prior  to  the  ravages  of  the  small-pox,  they  were 
not  surpassed  by  any  nation  in  the  Northwest.  The  men  were  tall  and  well  made,  with 
regular  features  and  a  mild  expression  of  countenance,  not  usually  seen  amongst  Indians. 
Their  complexion  also  was  a  shade  lighter  than  that  of  other  tribes,  often  approaching 
very  near  to  some  European  nations,  as  the  Spaniards.  Another  peculiarity  was  that  some 
of  them  had  fair  hair,  and  some  gray  or  blue  eyes,  which  are  very  rarely  met  with  among 
the  other  tribes.  A  majority  of  the  women,  particularly  the  young,  were  quite  handsome, 
with  fair  complexions,  and  modest  in  their  deportment.  Instead  of  the  brazen,  forward 
look  and  manner,  customary  with  females  of  some  of  the  tribes  of  the  Northwest,  they 
were  diffident  and  shy,  avoiding  any  approaches  of  strangers  or  of  their  own  people.  They 
were  also  noted  for  their  virtue.  This  was  regarded  as  an  honorable  and  most  valuable 
quality  amongst  the  young  women,  and  each  year  a  ceremony  was  performed,  in  the 
presence  of  the  whole  village,  at  which  time  all  females  who  had  preserved  their  virginity 
came  forward,  struck  a  post,  and  challenged  the  world  to  say  aught  derogatory  of  their 
character.  As  this  was  a  religious  ceremony,  any  of  those  present  who  could  with  truth 
contradict  the  statement  felt  bound  to  do  so,  and  if  detected  in  the  deception,  the  female 
lost  her  standing  forever  afterward  among  the  young  of  both  sexes.  In  ordeals  of  this 
kind,  it  was  remarked  that  more  than  two-thirds  of  the  Mandan  females  came  off  victo 
rious,  which  is  regarded  as  a  great  proportion  when  the  early  training  and  the  influences 


INDIAN   TRIBES  OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY.  429 

that  surround  them  are  taken  into  consideration.  The  fact  that  a  ceremony  of  this  kind 
exists  among  savages,  tending  to  promote  virtue  and  discourage  vice,  is  of  itself  sufficient 
evidence  of  their  mental  as  well  as  moral  superiority. 

Both  males  and  females  of  every  age,  especially  the  young,  were  very  cleanly  in  their 
persons  and  neat  in  their  dress.  It  was  their  custom,  and  still  is,  growing  out  of  some 
ancient  tradition,  to  bathe  in  the  river  every  morning.  Even  in  the  winter  season  they 
cut  holes  in  the  ice,  immerse  the  body,  and  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  them  after 
taking  their  cold  bath  sit  naked  on  the  ice,  comb  their  hair,  and  paint  themselves  in  a 
snow-storm,  the  thermometer  from  10°  to  30°  below  zero.  This  constant  ablution  at  all 
seasons  had  the  effect  of  inuring  the  system  to  cold,  for  they  never  shiver,  be  the  weather 
ever  so  severe,  and  sometimes  they  seem  to  prolong  the  making  of  their  toilet  in  propor 
tion  as  the  air  is  intensely  cold.  At  all  events  the  practice  was  a  good  one  for  the  In 
dians,  inasmuch  as  it  kept  their  bodies  free  from  most  diseases  and  eruptions  incident  to 
their  manner  of  life,  and  it  was  remarked  that  they  were  uniformly  healthy  and  vigorous. 
As  a  general  rule  the  females  despised  the  promiscuous  and  illicit  intercourse  with  the 
other  sex,  so  muc,h  practised  by  some  of  the  other  tribes,  and  consequently  they  were  free 
from  syphilitic  diseases. 

The  great^  object  of  the  young  of  both  sexes  was  to  dress  well ;  and  everything  they 
could  get  was  lavished  on  their  persons  in  clothing  and  ornament.  Some  of  their  dresses 
were  very  costly,  particularly  those  of  a  young  brave,  the  war-eagle  feathers  of  which 
alone  would  equal  the  price  of  two  horses,  or  one  hundred  dollars.  They  were,  as  a 
nation,  fond  of  amusements ;  dances  were  frequent,  and  different  clans  required  separate 
costumes,  some  of  which,  although  made  of  skin  wrought  with  figures  of  beads  and  por 
cupine  quills,  cost  six  months'  labor  to  complete  them.  The  taking  of  the  war-eagle, 
whose  tail  furnishes  the  most  costly  ornament  of  a  warrior's  dress,  requires  great  patience, 
and  is  thus  accomplished.  About  sixty-five  or  seventy  miles  above  the  Mandan  village, 
there  is  a  river  called  the  Little  Missouri,  which  takes  its  rise  in  the  Black  Hills  and 
empties  into  the  Missouri  at  the  lower  end  of  the  Great  Bend.  Along  the  whole  course 
of  this  stream  the  surface  is  much  broken,  resembling  that  described  as  Mauvaises  Terres 
in  the  Dakota  country.  It  is  a  wild  region,  seldom  visited  by  any  persons  except  passing 
war-parties,  and  is  the  secure  abode  of  the  grizzly  bear,  big-horn,  and  war-eagle.  A 
Mandan  wishing  to  make  an  eagle  hunt,  goes  through  several  days'  fasting,  offers  sacrifices 
to  the  Great  Spirit,  and  implores  His  protection  and  aid  in  the  success  of  his  expedition. 
When,  by  a  propitious  dream,  he  believes  the  time  favorable,  he  proceeds  alone  to  the 
place  above  mentioned,  killing  some  animal  on  his  way,  the  meat  of  which  he  will  need 
as  bait.  When  he  reaches  the  wildest  and  most  solitary  spot,  he  digs  a  hole  in  the  ground 
large  enough  to  contain  his  body  in  an  upright  position ;  over  this  hole  is  placed  a  cover- 


430  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

ing  of  willows,  which  is  overlaid  with  grass,  leaving  only  a  hole  large  enough  for  the  hand. 
A  stick  is  then  laid  over  this  lid  or  covering,  directly  over  the  hole  for  the  hand,  to  which 
the  meat  or  bait  is  tied.  The  man  descends  into  the  hole,  covers  it  up  with  the  lid,  and 
patiently  awaits  the  approach  of  the  eagle.  The  eagle,  soaring  above,  sees  the  bait,  and 
then  gradually  approaches  in  circles,  and  when  within  a  few  feet  darts  down  and  fastens 
its  claws  into  the  meat,  and  at  the  same  moment  the  hunter  grasps  the  bird  by  the  legs, 
thrusts  his  knife  upwards  into  its  body,  and  opening  the  cover  draws  it  in.  In  this  way, 
during  a  week  or  ten  days  of  constant  watching,  two  or  three  birds  are  secured,  and  this 
is  considered  a  good  hunt,  though  the  hunter  more  frequently  returns  unsuccessful.  The 
risk  attending  these  solitary  hunts  in  dangerous  places,  and  the  rarity  of  the  bird,  causes 
the  high  value  to  be  set  upon  the  feathers,  of  which  the  twelve  forming  the-  tail  are  the 
only  ones  used  in  dress.  Two  of  these  tails  are  sold  for  a  horse,  or  fifty  dollars. 

In  the  palmy  days  of  their  national  prosperity,  when  the  population  comprised  six 
hundred  warriors,  and  as  many  handsome  women  very  gayly  dressed,  much  time  was 
spent  in  amusements  of  every  kind.  But  short  intervals  elapsed  between  dances,  games, 
races,  and  other  manly  and  athletic  exercises.  One  of  these  was  Olympic  in  its  character, 
and  was  thus  performed.  A  race-course  of  three  miles  on  the  level  prairie  was  laid  off, 
cleared  of  every  obstruction,  and  kept  in  order  for  the  express  purpose.  Posts  were 
planted  to  mark  the  initial  and  terminating  points,  and  over  the  track  the  young  men 
tested  the  elasticity  of  their  limbs  during  the  fine  summer  and  autumn  months,  to  prepare 
themselves  for  the  hardships  of  their  winter  hunts.  On  the  occasion  when  races  were 
determined  on  by  the  chiefs,  the  young  men  were  informed  by  the  public  crier,  and  every 
one  who  had  confidence  in  his  prowess  was  admitted  to  the  lists.  Each  of  the  runners 
brought  the  amount  of  his  wager,  consisting  of  blankets,  guns,  and  other  property,  and 
sometimes  several  judges  or  elderly  men  were  appointed  by  the  chief  of  the  village,  whose 
duty  it  was  to  arrange  the  bets,  regulate  the  starting,  and  determine  the  results  of  the  race. 
As  the  wagers  are  handed  in,  each  is  tied  to  or  matched  with  one  of  equal  value,  laid 
aside,  and  when  all  have  entered,  the  judges  separate,  some  remaining  with  the  property 
staked  at  the  beginning  of  the  race-course,  and  others  taking  their  station  at  its  terminus. 
Six  pairs  of  runners  whose  bets  have  been  matched,  now  start  to  run  the  three-mile 
course,  which  is  to  be  repeated  three  times  before  it  can  be  decided.  The  ground  is  laid 
out  in  the  form  of  an  arc  describing  two-thirds  of  a  circle,  the  starting-point  and  goal 
being  but  a  few  hundred  yards  distant  from  each  other,  the  intermediate  space  being  filled 
up  by  the  young  and  old  of  the  whole  village.  The  runners  are  entirely  naked,  except 
their  moccasins,  and  their  bodies  are  painted  in  various  ways  from  head  to  foot.  The  first 
set  having  accomplished  about  half  the  first  course,  as  many  more  are  started,  and  this  is 
continued  as  long  as  any  competitors  remain,  until  the  entire  track  is  covered  with  runners, 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  431 

at  distances  corresponding  with  their  different  times  of  starting,  and  the  judges  award  the 
victory  to  those  who  come  out,  by  handing  each  a  feather  painted  red,  the  first  six  winning 
the  prize.  These,  on  presenting  the  feathers  to  the  judges  at  the  starting-point,  are 
handed  the  property  staked  against  their  own.  The  first  and  second  heats  are  seldom 
strongly  contested,  but  on  the.  third  every  nerve  is  strained,  and  great  is  the  excitement 
of  the  spectators,  who  with  yells  and  gestures,  encourage  their  several  friends  and  relations. 
The  whole  scene  is  highly  interesting,  and  often  continued  for  two  or  three  days  in  succes 
sion,  to  give  every  one  an  opportunity  to  display  his  abilities.  Those  who  have  shown 
great  fleetness  and  powers  of  endurance,  receive  additional  reward,  in  the  form  of  praise 
by  the  public  crier,  who  harangues  their  names  through  the  village  for  many  days  after 
wards.  This  is  a  fine  national  amusement,  and  tends  much  to  develope  the  great  muscular 
strength  for  which  they  are  remarkable.  They  also,  immediately  on  finishing  the  race, 
in  a  profuse  state  of  perspiration,  throw  themselves  into  the  Missouri,  and  no  instance  is 
known  where  this  apparent  rashness  resulted  in  any  illness. 

At  all  times  in  fine  weather,  the  Mandan  village  presents  a  gay  and  lively  appearance. 
Ball-playing,  horse-racing,  and  gambling  in  various  ways  may  be  seen  going  on.  These 
amusements  are  too  numerous  to  be  described  in  detail  here.  The  dances  are  of  the  most 
brilliant  character  known  among  the  Indians,  displaying  a  great  variety  of  costumes,  adapted 
to  the  different  occasions,  and  made  of  the  most  gay  and  costly  materials.  This  is  the  only 
nation  in  which  the  women  are  allowed  to  join  the  men  in  their  dances.  With  other 
tribes,  they  never  mingle,  except  in  the  scalp  dance,  though  in  one  or  two  medicine  cere 
monies  they  perform  alone.  In  admitting  women  as  associates  in  their  amusements,  and 
otherwise  treating  them  with  respect,  this  nation  has  shown  great  kindness  of  disposition. 
Instead  of  regarding  them  in  the  light  of  slaves  or  property,  as  is  the  case  with  other 
tribes,  they  never  abuse  them  or  impose  heavy  burdens  on  them,  and  this  course  is  re 
warded  by  their  usefulness,  cheerfulness,  and  fidelity.  Such  a  thing  as  divorcing  a  woman 
for  illicit  intercourse  is  unknown,  or  at  least  of  very  rare  occurrence  amongst  them,  and 
the  disgrace  and  humiliating  public  ceremony  to  which  female  offenders  in  this  way  are 
subject,  is  worse  than  death. 

The  Mandans  are  a  very  devotional  people.  No  war  excursion  is  entered  upon,  corn 
planted,  eagles  sought,  or  any  important  labors  commenced,  without  propitiating  the 
Great  Spirit,  in  accordance  with  their  traditional  customs.  Some  of  these  rites  consisted 
merely  in  sacrifices,  accompanied  with  prayer  and  fasting,  but  when  a  young  man  is  start 
ing  out  on  his  first  war  expedition,  or  any  great  benefit  is  to  be  derived  from  supernatural 
power,  they  practise  self-torturing  ceremonies  little  less  severe  than  those  of  Hindoo 
devotees.  The  place  where  these  religious  performances  are  observed,  is  back  of  their 
village  on  the  prairie,  where  a  post  is  planted  in  the  ground,  and  a  circle  of  buffalo-skulls 
VOL.  xii. — 55 


432  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGT   OF   THE 

formed  round  it,  about  twenty  feet  in  diameter.  A  young  man  about  commencing  his 
career  as  a  warrior,  or  a  leader  on  the  eve  of  starting  with  a  party  against  the  enemy, 
feels  bound  to  undergo  the  tortures  about  to  be  noticed,  in  order  to  secure  the  aid  of  the 
Great  Spirit  in  these  undertakings.  These  rites  are  repeated  at  diiferent  periods  when 
circumstances  require  their  observance.  The  person  under  the  influence  of  this  supersti 
tion,  usually  prepares  himself  by  three  or  four  days  of  fasting,  lying  on  the  ground  without 
shoes  or  covering  of  any  kind,  without  food  or  water,  and  without  speaking  to  any  one. 
At  the  end  of  this  period,  he  is  visited  by  the  medicine-men,  who  after  much  incantation, 
make  incisions  about  three  inches  long  and  half  an  inch  deep,  lengthwise  down  the  back 
opposite  each  shoulder-blade,  through  which  a  stout  stick  is  thrust,  and  a  strong  cord 
being  attached  to  the  stick,  he  is  drawn  up  a  few  feet  from  the  ground  by  passing  the 
cord  through  a  hole  in  the  top  of  the  post,  his  entire  weight  being  supported  by  the  skewer 
in  the  back.  When  suspended  in  this  way,  the  medicine-men  take  hold  of  his  feet,  and 
running  rapidly  around,  give  an  impetus  to  the  body  so  as  to  wind  up  the  cord,  after 
which  the  devotee,  using  his  feet,  could  in  the  same  way  unwind  himself,  and  thus  keep 
himself  constantly  swinging  round  by  striking  his  feet  on  the  post.  Here  he  hangs  for 
one  or  two  days  and  nights,  until,  fainting  and  exhausted,  he  is  let  down  by  the  medicine 
men.  After  being  liberated  from  the  post,  four  or  five  buffalo-skulls  are  tied  to  the  end 
of  the  cord,  the  stick  still  remaining  in  the  incision,  and  he  is  obliged  to  drag  these  skulls, 
a  weight  of  fifty  or  sixty  pounds,  over  the  prairie,  with  the  horns  ploughing  up  the  ground, 
and  the  blood  streaming  down  his  back.  This  is  persisted  in  until  the  flesh  breaks  loose, 
or  the  person  fainting,  is  carried  away  by  his  friends.  The  ceremony  being  over,  food  and 
drink  are  given  him,  and  when  fully  revived,  he  is  considered  in  a  fit  state  to  undertake 
any  dangerous  expedition,  though  he  still  is  compelled  to  wait,  until  by  favorable  dreams 
he  is  advised  of  the  proper  time.  Most  warriors  of  note  have  passed  through  this  ordeal, 
and  many  have  repeated  the  same  several  times  during  their  lives. 

Another  and  scarcely  less  painful  rite  is  to  burn  across  the  breast  with  a  red-hot  iron, 
making  deep  sores,  about  four  inches  long,  six  or  eight  in  number,  and  about  an  inch 
apart.  Sometimes  the  burns  are  made  in  large  circles  on  the  breast,  and  again  on  one  or 
both  shoulders.  This  actual  cautery  is  very  severe,  on  account  of  the  slow  operation  of 
the  medicine-men,  who  with  smoking  and  invocation  require  at  least  an  hour  to  inflict 
one  wound. 

In  the  spring  of  1838,  that  dreaded  scourge  of  the  Indians,  small-pox,  made  its  appear 
ance  among  the  Mandans.  By  some  accident  portions  of  the  clothing  belonging  to  one 
of  the  employes  of  the  Fur  Company,  who  had  suffered  from  the  disease  on  the  lower  part 
of  the  Missouri  River,  were  retained  on  the  steamboat,  although  no  appearance  of  the  in 
fection  was  visible  until  the  boat  arrived  at  Fort  Pierre.  Here  it  broke  out  amongst  the 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  433 

voyageurs,  and  although  every  precaution  was  taken  in  delivering  the  goods  at  the  dif 
ferent  posts,  yet  it  was  communicated  to  the  several  tribes  along  the  river.  All  the  tribes 
suffered  more  or  less,  but  none  approached  so  near  extinction  as  the  Mandans.  The 
summer  was  intensely  hot,  the  disease  was  general  in  both  villages,  and  owing  to  their 
confined,  dark,  and  ill-ventilated  cabins,  proved  fatal  to  a  degree  far  beyond  that  of  other 
nations.  It  was  almost  impossible  that  life  could  be  sustained,  on  account  of  the  impure 
state  of  the  air,  and  the  disease  usually  assuming  the  confluent  form,  almost  invariably 
resulted  in  death.  Remedies  were  tried  at  first,  the  principal  of  which  were  sweating, 
cold  bathing,  and  depletion.  Of  these  none  succeeded.  The  first  aggravated  the  fever  to 
delirium,  and  the  sufferers  died  during  the  operation.  Bleeding  produced  no  more  bene 
ficial  results,  and  this,  together  with  all  treatment,  was  soon  abandoned,  whole  families 
lying  helpless,  waiting  death,  in  different  stages  of  the  disease.  The  banks  of  the  river 
were  strewn  with  the  dead  and  blackened  carcasses,  which  were  daily  pushed  into  the 
stream  by  the  traders.  The  drums  and  rattles  of  the  medicine-men  soon  ceased,  for  they 
too  were  overtaken  by  death.  The  men  committed  suicide  or  murdered  their  suffering 
children ;  the  women  mourned  their  fate ;  and  all  was  misery,  despair,  and  death.  The 
trading-post  was  closed,  the  traders  confined  to  their  rooms,  and  the  cannon  loaded  and 
placed  in  the  bastions,  so  as  to  protect  them,  if  need  be,  against  their  hitherto  most  excel 
lent  friends.  I  need  not  pursue  this  subject  farther  than  to-say,  that  a  period  of  darkness 
reigned,  in  which  their  fierce  passions,  being  wrought  up  by  disease  and  frenzy,  these 
Indians  committed  acts  at  which  the  imagination  revolts,  and  which  were  not  wit 
nessed  by  others  than  themselves.  When  the  disease  had  abated,  and  when  the  remnant 
of  this  once  powerful  nation  had  recovered  sufficiently  to  remove  the  decaying  bodies  from 
their  cabins,  the  total  number  of  grown  men  was  twenty-three,  of  women  forty,  and  of 
young  persons  sixty  or  seventy.  These  were  all  that  were  left  of  the  eighteen  hundred 
souls  that  composed  the  nation  prior  to  the  advent  of  that  terrific  disease,  and  even  those 
that  recovered  were  so  disfigured  as  scarcely  to  be  recognized. 

When  the  survivors  had  rallied  and  recovered,  they  left  the  village  at  the  fort,  and  took 
up  their  residence  in  the  other  cabins,  a  few  miles  above.  Here  some  attempt  was  made 
to  reorganize  their  social  system,  but  the  race  could  only  be  propagated  by  intermarriage 
without  regard  to  relationship,  unless  closely  allied.  To  this  they  were  forced  by  circum 
stances.  The  disease  had  only  left  one  of  a  family,  here  and  there,  and  no  choice  was 
offered  for  new  connections.  However,  they  conformed  as  nearly  as  practicable  to  their 
customary  laws,  avoiding  as  well  as  they  were  able  contracts  of  marriage  with  blood  rela 
tives,  although  their  condition  imposed  the  necessity  of  perpetuating  their  nation  by  alli 
ances  which,  had  they  been  differently  situated,  would  not  have  been  resorted  to.  This 
appears  to  be  an  evil  more  or  less  incident  to  all  stationary  tribes.  Women  are  very 


434  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF    THE 

seldom  taken  from  other  tribes,  for  the  reason  that  they  usually  speak  a  different  language, 
and  the  consequence  is,  that  a  degree  of  relationship  runs  through  the  whole  village,  which 
perhaps  is  the  cause  of  their  living  more  harmoniously  together  than  the  roving  tiibes. 
Quarrels  very  seldom  occur,  and  no  great  division  of  feeling  or  rule  is  observed,  but  the 
ultimate  effect  of  this  interconnection  is  a  disregard  of  the  natural  barrier  of  blood  rela 
tionship,  which  in  its  progress,  and  sanctioned  by  custom,  results  in  actual  incest. 

About  the  time  that  the  Mandans  left  the  lower  village,  the  Arikaras  came  and  took 
possession,  the  former  readily  consenting  to  this  arrangement,  because  it  placed  a  large 
body  of  strangers  between  them  and  the  Dakotas,  with  whom,  in  their  now  feeble  state, 
they  were  unable  to  contend. 

The  Mandans  at  this  time  (1855)  number  about  thirty-five  or  forty  huts,  perhaps  nearly 
three  hundred  souls,  raise  corn,  squashes,  beans,  &c.,  same  as  the  Minnitarees  and  Ari 
karas,  and  hunt  the  buffalo  when  these  animals  are  near  their  village.  The  destroying 
and  humbling  effects  of  the  disease  referred  to  could  not  change  their  indomitable  spirit  of 
pride  and  independence.  They  will  not  join  with  the  other  nations  near  whom  they  re 
side,  connect  themselves  with  them  by  marriage,  nor  practise  any  customs  but  those  of 
their  ancestors.  Their  religious  rites  and  ceremonies  are  preserved  entire,  and  the  system 
of  self-inflicting  tortures  is  practised  at  the  present  day.  Being  too  few  in  number  to  form 
war-parties,  they  remain  at  home-  and  defend  themselves. 

All  of  their  noted  chiefs  are  dead,  and  sketches  of  their  lives  would  be  interesting,  but 
will  not  be  related  in  this  place,  though  they  exhibited  many  amiable  features.  While 
living  their  laws  were  seldom  infringed  upon  by  the  claims  and  pretensions  of  other  as 
pirants  to  power.  They  were  respected  for  their  judgment,  and  loved  for  the  patriarchal 
care  they  took  in  the  general  welfare,  and  not  feared  on  account  of  their  personal  braveiy 
or  extensive  relationship,  as  is  the  case  with  the  migratory  bands.  Old  age  in  both  sexes 
is  held  in  veneration  and  made  comfortable.  The  Mandans  deposit  their  dead  on  scaffolds 
near  the  village,  and  this  also  has  a  tendency  to  produce  diseases  in  warm  weather ;  but 
every  attempt  to  induce  them  to  inter  the  bodies  has  proven  unsuccessful.  They  cultivate 
the  soil  to  some  extent,  raising  corn  and  beans,  but  seldom  more  than  they  need  for  their 
own  consumption.  Their  destiny  seems  tending  toward  final  extinction. 

The  most  complete  and  accurate  history  of  the  Mandans  ever  published,  is  given  in  the 
excellent  work  of  Prince  Neuwied,  who  spent  one  winter  among  them,  under  the  most 
favorable  circumstances  for  obtaining  reliable  information.  His  vocabulary  is  also  quite 
full,  and  he  has  exhibited  the  grammatical  structure  with  considerable  detail.  Catlin, 
also,  in  his  account  of  the  North  American  Indians,  enters  quite  minutely  into  their  his 
tory,  manners,  and  customs,  which,  though  highly  colored,  are,  for  the  most  part,  correct. 
The  notion  which  he  entertained  that  the  Mandans  are  of  Welsh  origin  has  been  so 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  435 

thoroughly  exploded,  that  it  is  unnecessary  to  allude  to  it  farther.  His  vocabulary  of  the 
language,  however,  is  a  very  excellent  one.  Schoolcraft  also  gives  a  somewhat  lengthy 
vocabulary,  derived  from  Mr.  James  Kipp,  for  many  years  a  trader  among  these  Indians. 
I  may  as  well  state  here,  that  not  only  the  information  obtained  by  me  in  regard  to  the 
Mandan  language  was  given  by  Mr.  Kipp,  but  the  same  man  aided  Prince  Neuwied  and 
Catlin,  so  that  our  present  knowledge  of  the  Mandan  language  has  been  derived  from  very 
nearly  the  same  source.  So  far  as  I  can  learn,  the  most  important  contributions  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  Mandan  language,  and  the  only  ones  worthy  of  especial  notice,  are  those 
of  Prince  Neuwied,  Catlin,  and  Schoolcraft.  That  of  Prince  Neuwied  is  by  far  the  most 
important,  containing  much  of  the  grammatical  structure  of  the  language,  and,  as  above 
observed,  it  was  obtained  under  circumstances  which  entitle  it  to  confidence.  The  latter, 
though  important,  are  merely  lists  of  words,  and  convey  but  a  partial  idea  of  the  language. 


CHAPTER      XX. 

OBSERVATIONS   ON   THE   GRAMMATICAL    STRUCTURE   OF   THE    MANDAN   LANGUAGE. 

I.    NOUNS. 

1.  WITH  few  exceptions,  Mandan  nouns  have  both  a  singular  and  plural  form,  as  is 
shown  by  their  termination ;  as,  a-pe',  a  leaf;  a-pish',  leaves ;  ma-he',  a  weed ;  ma-hosh',  weeds ; 
si,  a  feather ;  si'-ish,  feathers. 

2.  The  gender  of  nouns  is  indicated  by  the  use  of  diiferent  words  to  express  the  sex ; 
as,  nu'-man-ke,  a  man  ;   mi'-he,  a  woman  ;   be'-ro-ke,  a  bull ;   p'tln'-de,  a  COW  ;   ni'-ka,  a  calf. 

3.  The  case  of  a  noun  is  known  by  its  position  in  a  sentence. 

II.    ADJECTIVES. 

4.  Adjectives  always  follow  the  nouns  which  they  describe ;  as,  mi-he'-shi-na-shush,  a  hand 
some  woman ;  nat-kan'-ka-sish,  a  hard  heart. 

5.  The  numeral  adjectives  of  the  cardinal  kind  are  as  follows : 

one,  mali'-a-na.  eight,  te-tuk'-e. 

two,  num'-pa.  nine,  mah'-pe. 

three,  na'-men-i.  ten,  pi'-rah. 

four,  to'-pe.  eleven,  a-ga-mah'-a-na. 

five,  keli-un'.  twelve,  a-ga-num'-pa. 

six,  ki'-ma.  thirteen,  a-ga-na'-men-i. 

seven,  ku'-pa.  fourteen,  a-ga-top'. 


436 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


fifteen,  a-ga-hun'. 

sixteen,  a-ki'-ma. 

seventeen,  a-ku'-pa. 

eighteen,  ak'-te-tuk'-e. 

nineteen,  a-ga-mali'-pe. 

twenty,  num'-pa-pi-rah'. 

twenty-one,  num'-pa-pi'-ra-ka-ro-man'-a-na. 

thirty,  na'-men-i-am-pi'-ra-kosh. 

forty,  to'-pa-pi'-ra-kosh. 


fifty,  keli-un'-am-pi'-ra-kosh. 
sixty,  ki-ma'-am-pi'-ra-kosh. 
seventy,  ku'-pa-am-pi'-ra-kosh . 
eighty,  te-tuk'-e-am-pi'-ra-kosh. 
ninety,  mali'-pe-am-pi'-ra-kosh. 
one  hundred,  i-suk'-mah-a-na. 
one  thousand,  i-su'-ki-ka-ku'-hi. 

one  hundred  thousand,  i-su'-ki-ka-ku'-hi-i-suk-mah'-a- 
na. 


6.  na-ka-mah'-a-na,  first  one,  or  first  time. 

i-ka-ha'-sha-mali'-a-na,  last  one,  or  last  time. 

III.   ADVERBS. 

7.  Some  of  the  principal  adverbs  are  as  follows :  tash-bak'-tosh,  perhaps ;  ho-ra'-ke-ku'-ser-o, 
day  before  yesterday ;  mat-he-o'-mas-ta,  day  after  to-morrow ;  ten'-hash,  afar  off. 

IV.  PREPOSITIONS. 

8.  Prepositions  follow  the  nouns  which  they  govern ;  as,  pelv'-ti,  by ;  mi-peli'-ti-nak'-ta,  sit 
by  me ;  mun-i-kush'-ta,  through  the  water ;  ti-rok'-ta,  in  the  house. 

V.  CONJUNCTIONS. 

9.  ken'-i  and  ek-tek',  and;   ken'-i-e-plsh',  and  I  said;   ken'-i-wa'-ki-wa'-wa-ush,  and  I  told  him. 

VI.    INTERJECTIONS. 

10.  sha!   oh!   sha!  shi-ni'-hush !    oh!  how  cold  it  is !   sha !  ma-na'-rush  !   oh!   what  pain   I  am 
in  !  sha !  da'-de-shush  !   oh  !  how  hot  it  is  !   i'-na !  he'-he-he  !  i'-he !  han'-ta !   hark  !    i-hamp'-ta  !  hist ! 
hush !  ha-nis'-ta !  look !  behold !  wa-he-teh' !  you  surprise  me  ! 

VII.   PRONOUNS. 

11.  Pronouns  are  simple  or  fragmentary.     The  fragmentary  pronouns  are  used  in  the 
declension  of  nouns  and  adjectives,  and  in  the  conjugation  of  verbs.     The  following  may 
be  regarded  as  an  example  of  the  intensive  form  of  the  simple  pronoun : 


mi'-o-na,  I,  myself,  or  I  ain. 
ni'-o-na,  thou,  thyself,  &c. 
i'-o-na,  he,  himself,  &c. 


nu'-o-na,  we,  ourselves,  or  we  are. 
ni'-a-o-na,  you,  yourselves,  &o. 
i'-a-o-na,  they,  themselves,  &c. 


The  form  of  the  fragmentary  pronouns  is  shown  in  the  following  declensions  of  nouns 
and  adjectives. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


437 


mi-hun'-de,  my  mother, 
ni-hun'-de,  thy  mother, 
i-hun'-de,  his  mother. 

min'-i-ke,  my  son. 
nin'-i-ke,  thy  son. 
i-ko'-ni-ke,  his  son. 
min'-i-kosh,  iny  sons, 
nin'-i-kosh,  thy  sons, 
i-ko'-ni-kosh,  his  sons. 

mi-nu'-han-ke,  my  daughter, 
ni-nu'-han-ke,  thy  daughter, 
i-ko-nu'-han-ke,  his  daughter, 
mi-nu'-han-kosh,  my  daughters, 
ni-nu'-han-kosh,  thy  daughters, 
i-ko-nu'-han-kosh,  his  daughters, 
nu-nu'-han-kosh,  our  daughters, 
ni-a-nu'-han-kosh,  your  daughters, 
i-o-na-nu'-han-kosh,  their  daughters. 


VIII. 


mops,  my  wife, 
nuns,  thy  wife, 
kons,  his  wife, 
mon'-ker-ish,  my  wives, 
non'-ker-ish,  thy  wives, 
kon'-ker-ish,  his  wives. 

mi-be'-ro,  my  husband, 
ni-be'-ro,  thy  husband, 
i-be'-ro,  her  husband. 
mi-be'-r5sh,  my  husbands, 
ni-be'-rosh,  thy  husbands, 
i-be'-rosh,  her  husbands. 

ma-shlsh',  I  am  good, 
ni-shlsh',  thou  art  good, 
in-shfsh,  he  is  good, 
nu-shish',  we  are  good, 
ni-a-shish',  you  are  good, 
i-a-shish',  they  are  good. 

VERBS. 


The  following  examples  show  the  forms  of  the  verbs  so  far  as  determined,  though  quite 


incomplete. 

i-wa'-sek-6sh,  I  do  anything, 
i-da'-sek-osh,  thou  doest  anything, 
i-i'-sek-osh,  he  does  anything, 
nu-i-sek'-osh,  we  do  anything. 
ni-i-sek'-6sh,  you  do  anything, 
i-a-i-sek'-osh,  they  do  anything, 
nu-nomp'-sha-sek'-osh,  we  both  do  anything. 

i-wa-sek'-tosh,  I  will  do  anything, 
ni-de-sek'-tosh,  thou  wilt  do  anything, 
i-sek'-tosh,  he  will  do  anything, 
nu-i-sek'-tosh,  we  will  do  anything, 
ni-a-sek'-tosh,  you  will  do  anything, 
i-o-na-sek'-tosh,  they  will  do  anything, 
nu-nomp'-sha-sek'-tosh,  we  both  will  do  anything, 
ni-a-be'-sek-ta  (imp.),  do  it,  all  of  you. 
i-sek'-ta  (imp.),  do. 


wa-dek'-tush, 
wa-de 


k -tush,  •) 
'-hush,    I 


am  going. 


tha-de'-hush,  thou  art  going, 
i-de'-hush,  he  is  going, 
nu-dc'-hush,  we  are  going, 
ni-a-de'-hush,  you  are  going, 
i-a-de'-hush,  they  are  going, 
nu-nomp'-sha-de'-hush,  we  both  are  going. 

wa-dek-tush',  I  will  go. 
tha-dek-tush',  thou  wilt  go. 
in-dek-tush',  he  will  go. 
nu-dek-tush',  we  will  go. 
ni-tha'-dek-tush',  you  will  go. 
in-a-dek-tush',  they  will  go. 
nu-nomp'-sha-dek-tush',  we  both  will  go. 

wa-ki-su'-kosh,  I  go  out. 
tha-ki-su'-kosh,  thou  dost  go  out. 
in-ki-su'-kosh,  he  goes  out. 
nu-ki-su'-kosh,  we  go  out. 
ni-a-ki-su'-kosh,  you  go  out. 


438 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


in-a-ki-su'-kosh,  they  go  out. 
nu-nomp'-sha-ki-su'-kosh,  we  both  go  out. 
ki-suk'-ta  (imp.),  go  out  you. 
siik-ta  (imp.),  go  out. 

wa-wa'-ru-tosh,  I  eat,  or  am  eating, 
tha-wa'-ru-tosh,  thou  eatest,  &c. 
i-wa'-ru-tosh,  he  eats,  &c. 
nu-wa'-ru-tosh,  we  eat,  &c. 
ni-a-tha-wa'-ru-tosh,  you  eat,  &c. 
i-a-wa'-ru-tosh,  they  eat,  &c. 

wa-wa'-rush-tdsh,  I  will  eat. 
tha-wa'-rush-tosh,  thou  wilt  eat. 
i-wa'-rush-tosh,  he  will  eat. 
wa-nu'-rush-tosh,  we  will  eat. 
ni-wa' -rush-tosh,  you  will  eat. 
i-o-na-wa'-rush-tosh,  they  will  eat. 

wa-wa'-rut-wa-ke-lie'-rush,  I  have  done  eating, 
ni-wa'-ra-rut-tha-ke-he'-rush,  thou  hast  done  eating, 
hj-wa'-rut-ke-he'-rush,  he  has  done  eating, 
rush'-ta  (imp.),  eat,  used  in  addressing  a  woman, 
ru-ta'-na  (imp.),  eat. 
wa-rush'-ta  (imp.),  eat  on. 
ru'-tosh,  eating,  to  eat. 
wa-ra-ru'-tosh,  will  you  eat  ? 

tash'-ka-ki-wa'-ra-ru-te'-ni-hosh,  what  is  the  reason 
you  do  not  eat  ? 

wa-wa'-ka-pu-sosh,  I  paint  or  write,  or  am  painting, 

&c. 

tha-ka-pu'-sosh,  thou  dost  paint  or  write,  &c. 
in-ka-pu'-sosh,  he  paints  or  writes,  &c. 
nu-ka-pu'-sosh,  we  paint  or  write,  &c. 
ni-a-ka-pu'-sosh,  you  paint  or  write,  &e. 
i-a-ka-pu'-sosh,  they  paint  or  write,  &c. 
nu-nomp'-sha-pu'-sosh,  we  both  paint  or  write,  &c. 

wa-ka'-pus-t5sh,  I  will  paint  or  write, 
tha-ka'-pus-tosh,  thou  wilt  paint  or  write, 
in-ka'-pus-tosh,  he  will  paint  or  write, 
nu-ka'-pus-tosh,  we  will  paint  or  write, 
ni-a-tha-ka'-pus-tosh,  you  will  paint  or  write. 


i-a-ka'-pus-tosh,  they  will  paint  or  write, 
nu-nomp'-sha-ka'-pus-tosh,  we   both    will    paint   or 

write. 

wa-ka'-pu-sosh,  to  write, 
wa-ka'-pu-se,  a  painting  or  writing, 
ka'-pus-ta  (imp.),  write, 
a-be-ka'-pus-ta,  write,  all  of  you. 

wa-ka-pu'-sa-ma'-mank-a-hosh,    I    am    painting    or 

writing  all  the  while. 

ni-tha-ka'-pu-sa-ma-mank'-a-hosh,  thou  art,  &c. 
in-ka'-pu-sa-ma'-mank-a-hosh,  he  is,  &c. 
nu-a-na-ka-pu'-sa-ma-mank-a-hosh,  we  are,  &c. 
ni-a-tha-ka-pu'-sa-ma-mank-a-hosh,  you  are,  &c. 
i-a-ka-pu'-sa-ma-mank-a-hosh,  they  are,  &c. 
nu-nomp-shos-ka-pu'-sa-ma-mank-a-hosh,weboth,&c. 

i-wa'-push-i-de'-hiish,  I  am  thinking, 
i-da'-push-i-de'-hush,  thou  art  thinking, 
in-push-i-de'-hush,  he  is  thinking, 
nu-i-push-i-de'-hush,  we  are  thinking.    ' 
ni-a-push-i-de'-hush,  you  are  thinking, 
i-a-push-i-de'-hush,  they  are  thinking. 

wa-hu'-na-wa'-kik-a-na'-kosh,I  will  come  and  sit  down, 
tha-hu'-na-tha'-kik-a-na'-kosh,  thou  wilt  come,  &c. 
iij-hu'-na-kik-a-na'-kosh,  he  will  come,  &c. 
nu-nomp'-sha-nu-hu'-ni-kik-a-na'-kosh,  we  both  will 
come,  &c. 

kas-ke'-wa-her-i-ki'-tosh,  I  will  tie. 
kas-ke'-tha-her-i-ki'-tosh,  thou  wilt  tie. 
i-kas-ke'-her-i-ki'-tosh,  he  will  tie. 
nu-kas-ke'-her-i-ki'-tosh,  we  will  tie. 
ni-kas-ke'-her-i-ki'-tosh,  you  will  tie. 
i-a-kas-ke'-her-i-ki'-tosh,  they  will  tie. 
nu-nomp'-sha-kas-ke'-her-i-ki'-tosh,  we  both  will  tie. 

kas-ke'-wa-her-ish,  I  have  tied. 

wa'-hinsh,  I  have  been  there, 
tha'-hlijsh,  thou  hast  been  there, 
i-wa'-hiijsh,  he  has  been  there, 
no'-hinsh,  we  have  been  there. 


INDIAN   TRIBES  OF    THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


439 


ni-a-tha'-hlnsh,  you  have  been  there, 
i-a-wa'-hlnsh,  they  have  been  there. 

wa-hen'-dush,  I  drink,  or  am  drinking, 
tha-hen'-dush,  thou  drinkest. 
in-hen'-dush,  he  drinks, 
nu-hen'-dush,  we  drink, 
ni-a-hen'-dush,  you  drink, 
in-a-hen'-dush,  they  drink. 

wa-he-na'-ina-ma'-ka-hosh,  I  have  been  drinking  all 

the  while, 
tha-he'-na-ma'-ka-hosh,  thou  hast  been  drinking  all 

the  while, 
iij-hen'-da-ma'-ka-hosh,  he  has  been  drinking  all  the 

while, 
nu-hen'-da-ma'-ka-hosh,  we  have  been  drinking  all 

the  while, 
ni-a-hen'-da-ma'-ka-hosh,  you  have  been  drinking  all 

the  while, 
i-a-hen'-da-rna'-ka-hosh,  they  have  been  drinking  all 

the  while. 

wa-ra-hen'-dush,  have  you  drank  ? 
wa-wa-he'-ni-hosh,  I  have  not  drank, 
tha-hen'-tha-ke'-he-rush,  you  have  done  drinking. 

o-mun'-i-te-o'-wa-he-rish-wa-ru'-he-shuish,  I  cut  it  off 

with  an  axe. 
wa-ki-siik'-wa-de-i-wa'-ki-su'-kosh,  I  go  out  anywhere 

I  please. 


i-ma'-pet-kik-u'-na-kosh,  he  sits  down  on  the  ground, 
tev'-e-ti-hin'-kush,  whose  pipe  is  that? 
tev'-e-ta-mi'-ni-swe'-ru-te,  whose  dog  is  that  ? 
tev'-e-ta'-o-tesh,  whose  lodge  is  that  ? 
tev-e-ya'-ki-ta-rush,  who  are  you  looking  after  ? 
ma-tev'-e-tha-ki'-ta-rush,  what  are  you  looking  af 
ter? 

tev'-e-ta-min'-i-ske-rish,  whose  horses  are  those  ? 
Ik'-haij,  laughing. 

ik-han'-ma-ka-hosh,  laughing  all  the  while, 
ra-tuk-lie',  crying, 
ra-ta'-hosh,  to  cry. 

ra-tuk'-lie-a-ma'-ka-hosh,  crying  all  the  while, 
nak'-ta  (imp.),  sit  down  (to  a  man), 
na'-ka-na  (imp.),  sit  down  (to  a  woman), 
ra-ta'  (imp.),  go. 

ra-ha'-na  (imp.),  go  (to  a  woman), 
shi-ha'-ra-ta  (imp.),  do  well. 

kap'-kesh,  it  snows, 
kap-ke'-kosh,  it  will  snow. 

kap-ke'-a-man'-ka-hosh,  it  is  snowing  all  the  while, 
ra-she-de'-hush,  it  thaws,  or  melts, 
ra-she'-dek-tush,  it  will  thaw  or  melt, 
ktan'-hosh,  it  freezes, 
ktan'-tosh,  it  will  freeze, 
ra-pa'-na-rush,  it  hails, 
ra-pa'-nak-tush,  it  will  hail, 
lic-i'-ni-hush,  it  thunders. 


CHAPTEK    XXI. 

VOCABULARY   OF    THE    MANDAN    LANGUAGE. 


A. 


above,  a-ke'-ta. 

afar  off,  ten-hash'. 

affection,  pah'-a-de,  affection,  love. 

all,  an'-be. 

and,  ken'-i. 

ken'-i-e'-pish,  and  I  said. 

ken'-i-wa-ki'-wa,  and  I  told  him. 
VOL.  xn. — 56 


ek'-tek,  and,  also, 
ants,  ka'-ra-si-sit'-ka. 
anything,  i'-tas-kash-ka. 

arm,  a'-de  (sing.),  a'-rush  (pi.),  an  arm  or  wing. 
arrow,  ma-hi'-pe-kosh. 
autumn,  ptan'-de. 
axe,  o'-ma-na-te. 


440 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


B. 

back,  nup'-lie. 
bad,  lie'-kosh. 
beans,  o-min'-i-ke. 

o-min'-ik-sa'-ni-ker-e,  peas, 
o-min'-i-ke-nti'-ker-i,  potatoes. 
bear,  ma-to'. 

ma-to'-pa,  a  bear's  head, 
ma-to' -ker-i,  all  bears, 
ni-shi'-da,  a  black  bear, 
beard,  hi'-ke-ru'-kis. 
bed,  o-inunk'-e-i-sik-osh,  to  make  a  bed. 
behold,  ha-nis'-ta,  look  !  behold ! 
below,  ma-pit'-a. 

ma-pit',  down,  below, 
belt,  i-uh'-pa-e-te',  a  sash  or  belt, 
bird,  ma-dek'-su-ke,  a  small  bird. 
bladder,  i-dah'-e. 
blood,  i'-da. 

i-de-she'-ro-rush,  cholera,  when  the  blood  turns 

to  water. 
blue,  to'-he. 
boat,  mi-na'-ki. 
bone,  a-hu'-de. 
both,  nom'-psha,  two,  both, 
bow,  wa-ra'-i-ru'-pa. 
box,  wi-du'-ke. 

ma-ne'-wi-du'-ke,  a  wooden  box. 
boy,  suk'-nu-mak,  a  boy. 
breast,  tah'-a-rali'-e. 
breechcloth,  mik'-e. 
buffalo,  ptm'-de. 

bc'-ro-ka,  a  bull, 
be-ruk'-nat-ka,  a  bull's  heart, 
burn,  rap-tesh',  to  burn. 
by,  peli'-ti. 

i-sa'-kag-a-sosh',  by  and  by,  after  a  while. 

C. 

call,  rn-ker'-ish,  to  call, 
cheat,  ma-noli'-a-ha-rush,  to  cheat  any  one. 
chicken,  si-pu'-ska,  prairie  chicken, 
clear,  de'-he. 
cloud,  ha'-a-de. 


ha-de-ku'-ta,  sky,  beyond  the  clouds, 
ha-de'-to-he-kush'-ta,  in  the  blue  cloud  or  sky. 
coat,  i-ina-shu'-te. 
cold,  shi'-ni-hush. 

corn,  ko-han'-te,  corn  or  grain  of  any  kind, 
ma-pe-her'-i,  pounded  corn  or  meal, 
i-pe'-ke,  a  mortar  for  pounding  corn, 
count,  pa-ki'-ri-rush,  to  count. 
crow,  ho-ki'-lia-ka.     Co'rvus. 
crying,  ra-tuh'-e. 

ra-tuli'-e-a-ma'-ka-hosh,  crying  all  the  while. 

D. 

darkness,  han-pe'-a-resh'-ka. 
day,  ka-she'-kosh. 

mat-lie'-o-nas-ta,  day  after  to-morrow, 
deceive,  ka-uli'-ash,  to  deceive. 
deer,  ma-mo-na'-ku. 

ma-mo-na'-ku-dop'-lie,  a  skin  of  a  deer, 
ma-mo-na'-ku-de'-si-ke,  the  tongue  of  a  deer, 
destroy,  ki-mih'-er-esh,  to  destroy. 
die,  te'-rush,  to  die. 
dirty,  wa-rat' -ker-i,  dirty,  foul. 
dog,  men-i-swe'-ru-te,  eaters  of  dung. 
door,  be-de'-he. 
drink,  he^-dush',  to  drink, 
duck,  pa'-to-he. 

E. 

eagle,  ma'-si,  war  eagle. 

ptan'-rush,  gray  eagle. 
ear,  as'-kash. 
eating,  ru-tosh'. 
egg,  si-ko'-he. 

si-ko'-hosh,  (pi.) 
elevation,  ma-ali'-te. 
elk,  om'-pa. 
end,  o-na'-ke-o-hank'-ta,  the  end  of  all  being,  the  end 

of  the  world, 
enemy,  wi-ra-tan'-de. 

evening,  i-stun'-de-hush,  the  latter  part  of  the  day. 
eye,  is-ta'. 

is-ta-su'-ni-ke,  eyes  of  a  cat. 


INDIAN   TRIBES  OF  THE  MISSOURI  VALLEY. 


441 


F. 

face,  is'-ti. 
fall,  dop-hesh',  to  fall. 

ma-pit'-a-dop-hesh',  to  fall  down, 
father,  ratz. 
feather,  si. 

si-ish',  (pi.) 

wo'-ki-rush,  a  head-dress  of  feathers, 
female,  mi'-ka,  the  female  of  any  animal, 
finger,  6g-ka'-he,  fingers,  claws,  &c. 
fire,  wa'-ra-de. 
fish,  po,  a  fish. 

po-tag'-de,  a  catfish, 
po-tuk'-e,  a  long,  slender  fish, 
pop-shi'-de,  "  silver  eye,"  a  white,  flat  fish, 
po-su'-nak-er-ish,  small  fish, 
po'-ni-ka,  the  roe  of  a  fish, 
flint,  ma-hik'-shu-ke. 
flower,  o-sed'-e-he. 
follow,  wali-a-hush',  to  follow, 
food,  wo-ru'-te,  food  of  any  kind, 
foot,  shi. 
fox,  i-ru'-te. 

o'-lia,  a  prairie  fox. 
friend,  pta-ni'-nali-ah. 

G. 
girl,  suk'-mi-he,  a  girl. 

suk-ham'-a-he,  a  little  child. 
go,  de'-hush,  to  go. 
good, she! 

shez'-ku-shosh,  very  good,  truly  good. 
goose,  mi'-harj. 
grass,  liarj-he'. 

lian-he'-sa-kosh,  dried  grass,  hay. 
hag-shi'-lie-na,  sharp  grass,  thistles, 
grease,  i-ker'-i,  grease,  fat. 
great,  litesh,  large,  great, 
gun,  wa-ta'-shi-ru'-pa. 

H. 

hail,  ra-ka-nan'-de. 

ra-pa'-na-rush,  it  hails, 
hair,  pa'-hi. 


hand,  on'-ke. ' 
handsome,  shi-na'-shush. 
hark!  hag'-ta! 
hawk,  i'-na,  and  i'-he. 

oni'-psi,  a  yellow  hawk, 
head,  pa. 

hear,  wa-esh',  to  hear, 
heart,  nat'-ka. 

nat-kag'-ka-sish,  a  hard  heart. 

nat-kag'-si-hush,  a  strong  heart, 
heel,  shi-ru'-te. 

hereafter,  hag'-ka,  time  to  come,  hereafter, 
highlands,  ma-hank'-wa'-ko-rosh,  highlands,  or  hills, 
hist !  i-hamp'-ta  !  hist !  hush  ! 
hot,  da'-de-shush. 
house,  o'-ti,  house,  or  lodge. 

ti-rok'-ta,  in  the  house. 

hush'-ta,  the  back  part  of  the  house, 
hurrah !  uk-a-he' !  hurrah  !  all  hands  ! 
husband,  i'-be-ro. 

I. 

I,  mi. 

ice,  lio'-de. 

in,  rok'-ta. 

inquire,  ki-mah'-esh,  to  inquire  of  any  one. 

iron,  wa-tush'-e-ma'-he. 

wa-tush'-o-te,  white  iron.     " 

wa-tush'-up-si,  black  iron. 

wa-tush'-se-ker'-i,  red  iron,  copper. 

wa-tush'-se-de,  yellow  iron,  brass. 

wa-tush'-i-wi-pu'-shi,  a  file,  or  iron  whetstone. 

wa-tush'-e-du'-ke,  a  shot-pouch, 
island,  wit'-ka. 


K. 


kettle,  bi-ru'-lie. 
kiU,  te-her'-ush,  to  kill, 
knee,  ig-ta'. 
knife,  ma-hi'. 


L. 


land,  mah-i-ki',  bad  land, 
laugh,  ik-hag', 

ki-ki-da'-shosh 


>  to  laugh, 
osh,  j 


442 


ON   THE  ETHNOGRAPHY   AND  PHILOLOGY  OF  THE 


leg,  do'-ke. 

leggin,  hon'-shi. 

level,  op-shi'-de-shlsh,  a  level  prairie. 

life,  i'-ni-hush,  alive,  health,  life. 

i'-ni-he,  alive. 

i'-ni-sesh,  to  live, 
light,  i-de-ah'-e. 
lodge,  o'-ti. 

ti-hink'-o-ti,  a  skin  lodge. 
long,  ha'-ska. 

M. 

man,  nu-mang'-ke. 

nu-mang-ka'-ki,  the  people. 

nu-mang-ka'-hi-kosh,  a  man's  acts. 

nu-mang-ka'-ke-nat-kaf,  a  man's  heart. 

nu-mank'-shi,  a  chief, 
many,  hank-tesh',  a  great  many, 
meat,  mas-kap'-e,  meat  of  all  kinds. 
moon,  i-stun'-mi-na'-ke. 
morning,  mam'-psi-ta. 

wa-mam'-psi-ta,  early  in  the  morning, 
mother,  hun'-de,  and  i-hun'-de. 
mouth,  i'-a. 
mud,  tun'-tu-ke. 

ma-tun'-tu-kosh,  soft  mud. 

tun'-tu-kosh,  soft,  a  bog  or  marsh, 
muskrat,  shan-6u'-ke. 

N. 

nail,  og-ka'-o-sha-ke. 
navel,  dop'-ta-su. 
near,  sha'-ha. 
neck,  i-ta'-e-nu. 
night,  i-stun'. 
north,  mi-si' -a-hank'-ta. 

mi-si -hank'-ta-ro-push'-a-hank'-ta,  northeast. 

pa-sha-hank'-ta-ro-ta-hank'-ta,  southeast. 

a-ga-hank'-ta-ro-ta-mi-sa-hank'-ta,  northwest. 
nose,  pa'-liu,  nose,  beak  of  a  bird. 

pa-hu-ptap'-tali,  moose,  animal  with  a  long  nose, 
nothing,  mlk'-ska. 
now,  na-ka', 
na-kan' 


',    J-  now,  at  this  time, 
i  >  3 


O. 

oh,  sha ! 

old,  M'-hosb... 

open,  rup-shuk'-osh,  to  open. 

rup-shuk',  opened. 

outside,  ma-tln'-da,  out  of  doors,  outside, 
owl,  ili-i'-he,  large  hooting  owl.     Bubo  Virginianus. 
ih -ik'-shu-ke,  small  owl. 

P. 

paddle,  i-pa-ha'-ka,  oar  or  paddle, 
part,  o-kup'-e. 
perhaps,  tush'-hak-tosh. 
pine,  ma-na'-ho-pin'-i. 
pipe,  i-hink'-e. 
polecat,  shonk'-te. 
poor,  a-ka'-ri-he. 
pox,  lied'-e-pe,  small-pox. 
pumpkin,  ko'-de. 

ko'-de-se-ha'-ru-tosh,  melons   or   pumpkins 

eaten  uncooked, 
push,  put-kesh',  to  push. 

R. 
rabbit,  mah-tik'-e.     Lepus  campestris. 

mah-tili'-shu-ke,  small   rabbit.      Lepus  arte- 

misia. 
rain,  hai'-dush. 

hai'-i-kun'-dush,  a  rainbow, 
raven,  ke-ka'. 
red,  se. 
river,  pa-sa'-he. 

pa-sank'-shu-kosh,  small  rivers,  creeks. 
robin,  ma'-de-kan'-ka.  Turdus  migralorius. 
rock,  mi-su'-ne-ke-htesh,  a  large  rock. 

mi-su'-ne-ke-lia-ma'-he-na,  a  soft  rock, 
run,  pte'-hush,  to  run. 

S. 

salt,  wa-sku-sho'-te,  white  sugar, 
sandstone,  wi-pu'-shi,  whetstone,  sandstone, 
scalp,  pa-dop'-he. 
seat,  i'-ta. 

see,  wa-hesh',  to  see. 
shake,  ka-tid'-i-ri-sosh,  to  shake. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY. 


443 


sheep,  an-sah'-te,  mountain  sheep,  big-horn. 

shoe,  hom'-pa,  shoe,  moccasin. 

shoulder,  a'-kit. 

sinew,  hi'-se. 

sing,  wa-ki'-ki-na'-rush,  to  sing. 

sister,  ta-mi'-he-na. 

ptan'-kosh,  elder  sister. 
skin,  dop-hi'. 
small,  ham'-o-he. 
smooth,  san'-sish. 

ka-sai/-sosh,  to  smooth  or  make  smooth, 
snow,  wa-he'. 
soldier,  ka-wa'-ka-ra-kah'-a. 
something-,  i-ko-tu'-i. 
son,  ko'-ni-ke. 
sour,  ha-rush'. 
speak,  rot-kish',  to  speak, 
spirit,  ma-nah'-i-ke. 
spread,  plii'-her-ish,  to  spread, 
spring,  be'-hi-nun-de  (season). 
star,  likik'-e. 

hkik'-e-wa-ha-ne-hosh',  the  star  that  does   not 

move,  north  star, 
steal,  wa-nun'-dush,  to  steal, 
stone,  min'-deli-tesh,  a  large  stone  or  rock, 
strike,  ro-rush',  to  strike, 
strong,  si-hush', 
summer,  ra-ske'-ke. 
sun,  ma-hamp'-mi-na'-ke. 
surprise,  wa-he-teli',  you  surprise  me. 
swan,  ma-de-hop'-ni. 
sweep,  Ip-kuk'-i-shush,  to  sweep. 

ip-kuk'-i-sha,  a  broom,  or  anything  to  sweep 

with, 
sweet,  sku'-hosh. 

T. 

tail,  shon'-te. 

shon-te-ha'-ska,  long  tail,  a  panther, 
tallow,  sin'-de. 

thaw,  ra-she'-de-hush,  it  thaws,  or  melts. 
thief,  wa-nun-deli'-te. 
thigh,  do-kosh',  the  thighs, 
think,  wa-push'-i-de,  to  think. 


this,  ant. 

an-to-rash',  this  one,  this  thing. 

ant-wi-do'-ke,  this  sack. 
tie,  kas-kesh',  to  tie. 
toad,  liat'-ka. 
tobacco,  ma-na-she'. 
to-day,  i-ham'-pe. 
toe,  shi'-pa,  the  great  toe. 

shi-ha'-pa,  the  second  toe. 
shi-ni'-ka,  the  little  toe. 
to-morrow,  mat-he', 
tongue,  de'-si-ke. 
tooth,  lii. 

trade,  wi-ka'-rush,  to  trade  or  barter, 
tree,  ma'-na,  wood,  or  a  tree. 

ma'-na-i-nin'-dush,  a  tree. 

ma-na-a',  the  bark  of  trees. 

ma-na'-i-ta-hu,  an  oak  tree. 

ma-na'-ho-pin-i,  a  pine  tree. 

ma-na'-o-ki-sarj-ka,  forks  of  a  tree. 

ma-na'-wa-ra-wi-rush,  elm-wood,  of  which  bows 
are  made. 

ma-na-wah'-e,  cottonwood. 

ma-na-suk',  a  shrub  or  bush. 

ma-na-pe',  or,  a'-pe,  a-pish'  (pi.),  leaves. 

ma-na-roh'-te,  a  forest. 

ma-na-ker'-i,  all  wood. 

ma'-na-i-nin'-de-a-ke'-ta,  on  the  tree. 

ma'-na-ka-kin'-he,  a  wooden  wedge. 

ma'-na-i-tu-ruk'-shu-ke,  a  spear  or  lance, 
tremble,  ka-tid'-re-kosh,  to  tremble,  quake, 
turkey,  ma-ru'-si. 
turnip,  ma-hosh'. 

turtle,  kip-san'-de,  turtle  or  tortoise, 
twisted,  ka-min'-ish. 

U. 

ugly,  hik'-a-na-shosh. 
upon,  a-ki'-a,  on  or  upon. 

V. 
vein,  i'-du-ke,  a  vein  or  channel. 

i-i'-du-ke,  a  vein  or  channel  for  the  blood, 
very,  ku-shosh',  truly,  very. 


444 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


ku-she'-nii-ka,  very  good,  very  true, 
village,  mi'-ti. 

mi-ti'-o-tosh,  with  the  camp  or  village. 

W. 

walk,  nln'-dush,  to  walk, 
war-club,  mili'-a-ske. 
warrior,  ka-ha'-re-kosh,  a  brave  or  warrior, 
water,  mun'-i,  and  men'-i. 

men-i-ker'-i,  all  water,  the  sea. 

men-i-wa'-rat-ker'-ish,  dirty  water. 

men-i-ka-tu'-sosh,  quick  or  rapid  water. 

men-i-i-wa'-ka-he,  runners  on  the  river  shore, 
plover. 

mun-ili'-te,  a  lake. 

mun-i-hin'-i,  a  spring  of  water. 

mun-i-pu'-shu-hush,  to  swim. 

men-i-e'-ha-ka-he,  at  the  water's  edge. 

men-i-kush'-ta,  through  the  water. 
we,  mi'-o-na. 
weak,  a-hi'-kosh. 
weed,  ma-he', 
what,  ta. 

ma-tev'-i,  what  is  it  ? 
which,  ko-tev'-i,  which  one  ? 
white,  sho'-te. 

wa-sku-sho'-te,  white  sugar,  same  as  salt. 


wa-shi',  and  wa-shi'-ta,  a  white  man. 

wa-shi'-psi,  a  black  man. 

wa-shi'-ta-ko-har)'-te,  the  white  man's  corn. 

wa-shi'-ta-ptln'-de,  the  white  man's  cow. 

wa-shi'-ta-ma'-to,  the  white  man's  bear,  or  hog. 

wa-shi'-tas-hte,  white  man's  big-horn,  sheep. 
who,  tev'-e. 
wife,  kons. 
wind,  she. 
windpipe,  i-ni'-he. 
wish,  i-te'-rush,  to  wish, 
with,  o-tosh'. 

ko-ke'-ta,  within, 
kush'-ta,  under,  within. 
wolf,  she-he'-ke,  prairie  wolf. 
woman,     mi'-he-mi-he-shi'-na-shush,     a      handsome 

woman, 
wood,  ma'-na. 
writing,  ka-pu'-se,  painting  or  writing. 

Y. 

yellow,  psi'-de. 
yes,  hog. 

hai'-i,  same  as  Dakota,  "how?"  "yes,"  "it  is 

good." 
yesterday,  lio'-da-ke. 

ho-ra-ke'-ku-ser'-o,  day  before  yesterday. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

XIII.  OMAHAS. — XIV.  IOWAS,  OR  OTOS. 

SKETCH   OF   THE   OMAHA,   AND   IOWA   OR  OTO   INDIANS. 

HAVING  made  comparatively  few  observations  in  person  in  regard  to  the  Indian  tribes 
of  the  Lower  Missouri,  I  shall  not  at  this  time  attempt  to  present  a  detailed  history  of 
them.  It  is  my  intention  at  some  future  period  to  investigate  with  care  all  the  languages 
of  the  Indian  tribes  now  located  in  the  Valley  of  the  Missouri,  which  have  not  already 
been  sufficiently  studied  for  ethnological  and  philological  purposes,  and  to  work  out 
the  history  of  their  migrations  from  all  the  materials  within  my  reach.  As  I  remarked 
of  the  tribes  previously  described,  but  little  information  of  a  reliable  character  can  be  ob- 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  445 

tained  from  their  own  traditions  farther  back  than  one  hundred  years.  It  so  happens, 
however,  that  most  of  the  Indians  at  the  present  time  living  on  the  Lower  Missouri 
migrated  from  the  eastward,  and  were  visited  and  noticed  by  the  earliest  explorers  of  the 
country.  The  writings  of  the  Jesuit  fathers  are  invaluable  to  the  student  of  Indian  his 
tory.  I  shall,  therefore,  content  myself  with  making  a  few  extracts  from  such  of  their 
works  as  are  within  my  reach,  without  pretending  at  this  time  to  exhaust  the  subject. 

That  the  lowas  migrated  from  the  Mississippi  westward  to  their  present  location  on  the 
Missouri,  we  have  very  reliable  written  evidence.  According  to  Schoolcraft,  Father  Mar- 
quette  visited  the  lowas  as  far  back  as  1673,  and  records  their  residence  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Des  Moines  River.  Allusion  is  also  made  to  them  in  the  narrative  of  the  adven 
tures  of  one  of  La  Salle's  party,  Father  Zenobius  Membre,  who  seems  to  have  visited  the 
different  tribes  located  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  in  1680.  He  remarks  that  the  Kicka- 
poos  and  the  Ainones  (lowas)  live  on  the  western  side  (of  Mississippi),  and  occupy  two 
villages.  In  Le  Sueur's  Voyage  up  the  Mississippi,  in  1699-1700,  several  references  are 
made  to  this  tribe,  called  by  him  Ayavois.  On  page  101  of  Mr.  J.  G.  Shea's  admira 
ble  collection  of  "  Early  Voyages  up  and  down  the  Mississippi,"  Le  Sueur  says  :  "  At  this 
spot  (near  Mankato  or  Blue  Earth  River,  latitude  44°  13'  N.),  he  met  nine  Scioux,  who 
told  him  that  this  river  was  the  country  of  the  Scioux  of  the  West,  of  the  Ayavois,  and 
the  Otoctatas  (Otos),  a  little  further  ;  that  it  was  not  their  custom  to  hunt  on  the  grounds 
of  others  without  being  invited  by  those  to  whom  they  belonged ;  that  when  they  should 
wish  to  come  to  the  fort  to  get  supplies,  they  would  be  exposed  to  be  cut  off  by  their 
enemies  coming  up  or  going  down  these  rivers,  which  are  narrow,  and  that  if  he  wished 
to  take  pity  on  them,  he  must  settle  on  the  Mississippi,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mouth 
of  St.  Peter's  River,  where  the  Ayavois,  the  Otoctatas,  and  the  Scioux  could  come  as  well  as 
they."  It  seems  also  that  even  at  that  time,  the  lowas  as  well  as  the  Otos  were  to  some 
extent  an  agricultural  people.  On  page  104 :  "  On  the  22d,  two  Canadians  were  sent  out 
to  invite  the  Ayavois  and  the  Otoctatas  to  come  and  make  a  village  near  the  fort,  because 
these  Indians  are  laborious  and  accustomed  to  cultivate  the  ground,  and  he  hoped  to  obtain 
provisions  from  them,  and  make  them  work  the  mines."  Again,  we  may  from  Le  Sueur's 
account  arrive  very  nearly  at  the  time  when  the  lowas  and  Otos  migrated  across  the 
country  westward  to  the  Missouri.  On  page  106  of  the  same  work:  "On  the  16th  (of 
November,  1699),  the  Scioux  returned  to  the  village,  and  it  was  ascertained  that  the  Aya 
vois  and  Otoctatas  had  gone  to  station  themselves  on  the  side  of  the  River  Missouri,  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  Maha,  a  nation  dwelling  in  those  quarters." 

In  Alcedo's  Spanish  Geography,  we  find  the  following  paragraph  in  regard  to  Iowa 
River:  "Which  runs  southeast  into  the  Mississippi,  sixty-one  miles  above  Iowa  Rapids, 
where,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  is  Iowa  Town,  which  twenty  years  ago  could  furnish 


446  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

three  hundred  warriors.  The  upper  Iowa  town  is  about  fifteen  miles  below  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  on  the  east  side  of  Mississippi,  and  could  formerly  furnish  four  hundred 
warriors." 

This  tribe,  which  they  call  Ayauways,  seems  not  to  have  attracted  the  special  attention 
of  those  remarkable  travellers  and  explorers,  Lewis  and  Clarke,  yet  from  incidental  allusions 
to  them,  we  know  that  they  resided  on  the  Missouri  near  the  commencement  of  the  pre 
sent  century.  We  cannot  now  attempt  to  trace  out  the  different  villages  of  the  lowas 
along  the  track  of  their  migration,  a  work  which  has  already  been  so  well  done  by  Mr. 
Schoolcraft  in  the  third  part  of  his  Report.  They  are  at  this  time  located  on  a  reservation 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Missouri,  near  latitude  40°.  They  number  about  four  hundred 
and  fifty  persons,  have  progressed  much  in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  and  many  of  them 
are  partially  civilized.  Like  most  of  the  Indians  on  the  frontier,  they  seem,  however,  to 
contract  more  readily  the  vices  than  adopt  the  virtues  of  the  white  race.  Mission  schools 
have  been  established  among  them,  at  which  from  thirty  to  fifty  scholars  are  instructed. 

The  grammatical  structure  of  the  Iowa  language  has  been  carefully  wrought  out  by 
those  indefatigable  missionaries,  Messrs.  Hamilton  and  Irvin,  and  published  in  several 
small  volumes  at  the  Mission.  These  books  having  been  prepared  especially  for  the  use  of 
the  Mission,  they  have  not  been  circulated  to  any  extent  for  ethnological  and  philological 
purposes.  The  most  important  publications  on  the  Iowa  language  prepared  by  these 
gentlemen  are, 

1st.  An  Elementary  Book  of  the  Iowa  Language,  with  an  English  translation,  by  Wm. 
Hamilton  and  S.  M.  Irvin,  under  the  direction  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  J.  B.  Ray,  interpreter.  Iowa  and  Sac  Mission  Press,  Indian 
Territory,  1843.  Small  octavo;  pp.  101. 

2d.  An  Iowa  Grammar,  illustrating  the  principles  of  the  Language  used  by  the  Iowa, 
Oto,  and  Missouri  Indians.  Prepared  and  printed  by  Rev.  Wm.  Hamilton  and  Rev.  S.  M. 
Irvin,  under  the  direction  of  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  Iowa  and  Sac 
Mission  Press,  1848.  Small  octavo;  pp.  152.  There  is  also  a  small  volume  of  hymns, 
but  without  an  English  translation. 

In  the  preface  to  the  Grammar,  the  authors  make  the  following  very  interesting  and 
truthful  remarks  : 

"  The  language  used  by  the  Iowa  and  Oto  and  Missouri  tribes  is  the  same ;  a  slight 
difference  is  perceptible  in  their  mode  of  speaking,  and  a  few  words  are  common  to  one 
tribe  that  are  not  common  to  the  others,  yet  the  difference  is  not  greater  than  is  often 
found  to  prevail  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  different  States. 

"  There  is  so  much  similarity  in  the  languages  of  many  of  the  Indian  tribes,  that  it 
shows  them  to  have  had  one  common  origin,  while  others,  again,  differ  as  widely  as  two 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY.  447 

languages  can  differ.     This  dissimilarity  is  seen  in  the  Iowa  and  Sac  languages,  in  which 
no  two  words  are  alike. 

"  If  the  language  of  the  Iowa  Indians  be  taken  as  the  starting-point  (though  tradition 
says  that  they,  with  many  other  tribes,  were  originally  Winnebagoes),  then  those  of  the 
same  family  would,  as  far  as  has  been  ascertained,  stand  related  to  it  in  the  following 
order : 

1st.  Iowa. 

Oto. 

Missouri. 
2d.   Winnebago. 
3d.    Kansas. 

• 

Osage. 
Inapaw. 
Omahaw! 
Ponca. 

"  A  number  of  words  are  common  to  all  these  tribes,  and  not  a  few  words  differ  only  in 
the  accent  and  the  change  of  a  few  letters,  indicating  a  common  origin ;  yet  time  has 
produced  such  a  change  that  in  conversing  together  an  interpreter  is  necessary. 

"  The  barrenness  which  is  supposed  to  belong  to  most  Indian  languages,  does  not  result 
from  the  structure  or  nature  of  the  language,  but  from  the  want  of  ideas  in  those  who  use 
it.  So  far  as  they  have  ideas,  they  do  not  lack  words  to  express  them,  though  the  mode 
of  expression  among  them  is  often  as  different  from  that  in  use  among  us  as  their  language 
is  from  ours." 

A  few  vocabularies  of  the  Iowa  language  were  obtained  by  early  explorers,  but  they 
are  all  superseded  by  the  more  complete  and  accurate  works  of  Messrs.  Hamilton  and 
Irvin. 

The  history  of  the  Otos  and  Missouris  does  not  differ  materially  from  that  of  the  lowas 
just  given.  By  reference  to  the  map  it  will  be  seen  that  they  occupy  at  the  present  time 
a  reservation  on  the  parallel  of  40°,  on  the  Big  Blue  River,  near  the  head  waters  of  -the 
Big  Nemaha  River,  a  portion  of  their  land  being  included  within  the  boundary  of  Ne 
braska  and  a  part  in  Kansas.  They  formerly  ranged  over  an  extensive  area  south  of  the 
Platte  River.  They  number -about  six  hundred  persons  of  both  sexes. 

The  Omahas  formerly  ranged  over  a  large  area  extending  from  the  mouth  of  the  Platte 
to  the  Niobrara,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Missouri.  They  are  now  located  on  a  reservation 
north  of  parallel  42°,  and  bordering  upon  the  river,  as  indicated  on  the  map  accompanying 
this  memoir.  A  mission  school  has  long  been  established  among  them,  and  their  attempts 

VOL.  xri. — 57 


448 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY  OF   THE 


to  cultivate  the  soil  have  been  attended  with  great  success.  They  number  about  eight 
hundred  souls. 

The  Ponkas  speak  the  same  language,  though  forming  a  distinct  tribe,  and  have  their 
reservation  on  Ponka  Kiver,  south  of  the  Niobrara.  They  make  some  feeble  attempts  to 
cultivate  the  soil,  and  obtain  thereby  a  partial  support,  but  they  are,  for  the  most  part,  in 
their  original  wild  condition,  and  owing  to  the  almost  entire  absence  of  game  from  their 
borders,  are  most  of  the  time  in  a  state  bordering  on  starvation. 

A  number  of  vocabularies  of  the  Omaha  and  Ponka  language  have  been  published  by 
various  writers,  as  Long,  Prince  Neuwied,  Gallatin,  &c.,  but  no  attempt  has  ever  been 
made  to  work  out  its  grammatical  structure.  A  small  pamphlet  of  perhaps  sixteen  pages 
was  prepared  some  years  ago  by  a  gentleman  connected  with  the  Mission,  containing  a  few 
words,  phrases,  and  hymns,  in  the  language,  but  inasmuch  as  the  English  equivalents  are 
not  given,  it  is  of  no  use  to  the  student  of  general  philology. 


VOCABULARY   OF   THE   OMAHA   LANGUAGE. 


A. 


above,  ma'-shi-a-ta 
alive,  nit'-a. 
all,  warj-gi'-re. 
ankle,  si-taJ'i'-e. 
arm,  a. 
arrow,  ma. 
autumn,  ta, 

tali, 
axe,  man'-the-pe. 


,,-.-,, 
dead,  it  is  dead. 


B. 


back,  nang'-ka. 
bad,  pi'-a-zi. 
bean,  ham'-bre-en-ge. 
bear,  man'-6u,  grizzly  bear. 
wa-tha'-be,  black  bear. 
beard,  i'-hi. 
beaver,  za'-be. 
bird,  wa-zing'-a. 
bison,  te. 
bitter,  toh'-a, 
black,  tha'-be. 
bladder,  neh'-e,  and  nali'-e. 
blood,  wa'-mi. 


blue,  to. 
boat,  man'-de. 

ta-de'-i-ga-da,  ship  drawn  by  the  wind. 
body,  zu'-ga. 
bog,  nish-tash'-ta. 
bone,  wa-hi'. 
bow,  nan'-de. 
boy,  nu-shing'-e. 
bread,  wa-muth'-ke. 
breast,  mang'-e. 
brother,  wi-shen'-se,  my  elder  brother. 

wi-thang'-e,  my  younger  brother, 
burns,  a'-ne,  he  burns, 
by,  ka'-ha. 

mng'-ka-ha,  by  the  shore. 

ath-ka'-de,  by  and  by. 

C. 

call,  ba,  he  calls, 
cattle,  te-tha'-be,'  black  cattle, 
chief,  ni'-ka-ka-hi',  and  nu'-da-ha-ga'. 
claw,  sha'-ge,  hoof,  claw, 
cloth,  ze-a-di-gra',  breechcloth. 
coat,  wo-na'-zi,  thin  coat. 
corn,  wa-ta'-the. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


449 


wa'-ri-to'-be,  corn-meal, 
cold,  thni. 
crow,  ka'-he. 
cry,  ha'-ge. 

ha-ga'-i,  crying. 

D. 

dance,  nan'-te,  he  dances, 
darkness,  o-kali'-na-pa'-zi. 

daughter,  wi-shang'-e,  > 

[•  my  dauglitcr. 
ni-nis'-i,         J 

day,  am'-ba. 
deer,  tali'-ti. 

door,  ti'-ze-be'-o-gra,  house  entrance, 
drink,  rat'-i,  he  drinks, 
rat'-a,  drinking, 
duck,  nili'-a-shing'-a. 

E. 

ear,  ni'-ta. 

earth,  tan'-de. 

eat,  wa'-ra-te,  he  eats. 

wa'-ra-ti,  he  is  eating. 

wa'-ra-te,  ) 

S  eating, 
wa  -ra-ta,  J 

egg,  wet-a'. 

elk,  am'-pa. 

embark,  man-de'-o-kre,  he  embarks. 

enemy,  o-ke'-te. 

evening,  pa'-ze. 

exist,  an-go',  we  are,  exist. 

thi-ali',  you  are. 

e'-ga,  he  is. 

F. 

face,  en'-de. 

far,  wi-a-hi'-de,  far,  far  off. 
fat,  we-hre'. 

father,  en-da'-de,  my  father, 
fin,  we-u-thu'-ka-he. 

ringer,  nam-be'-we-pa'-zu,  the  forefinger,  to  point  with. 
fire,  pe'-te. 
fish,  hu'-hu. 

hu'-hu-shing-a,  small  fish. 


we'-to-kre,  roe  of  a  fish, 
flash,  m. 
flint,  ma'-hi-si. 
flower,  za-hra'. 
fly,  hau'-te-ga. 
foot,  thi,  and  si. 
forest,  hra'-be. 
fox,  te. 
friend,  ka'-ge. 

G. 

ghost,  o'-wi-ya'-wa,  angel. 

girl,  mi'-shing-e,  a  young  girl.     . 

go,  the,  he  goes. 

good,  o'-da,  and  u'-da. 

goose,  mih'-e. 

mih-a-hi',  goose-hair,  feathers, 
great,  ali'-te. 
gun,  wa-hut'-a. 

H. 

hail,  ma'-se. 
hair,  na-zi'-ha. 
hand,  nam'-be. 
handsome,  o-ro-kam'-be. 
he,  e,  he  or  she. 
head,  pa. 

wash'-ki,  top  of  the  head. 

wa-ra'-ge,  head-dress. 
hear,  wa-na'-e,  he  hears, 
heart,  nan' -de. 
heel,  thi'-re-de. 
hill,  pa-he', 
horse,  shun'-ga. 
hot,  nah'-a-de. 
husband,  wi-e-krang'-ke,  my  husband. 

I. 

I,  wi. 

ice,  nuli'-e. 
in,  man'-te. 

ti-man'-te,  in  the  house. 

ma'-ha-tc,  in  the  sky. 
infant,  shing'-e-shing'-e. 


450 


ON    THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


worm  or  insect. 


insect,  wa-kre',  i 
wa-gri',    ) 
za-gri'-ska,  wood  insect,  flea, 
iron,  man'-the. 

man-theth'-ka,  white  iron,  silver, 
man-theth'-ka-thi,  gold,  yellow  iron. 

man-the'-shi-de,    } 

J-  copper,  red  iron, 
man-the -shu-de,  > 

man-the'-ma,  lead. 
island,  ni-ran'-da. 


kettle,  ner'-he,     |   . 

ther'-he,   j 
kill,  wa-te'-re, 

wa-na'-a-he'-re, 
knee,  shi-nan'-de. 
knife,  ma'-hi. 


K. 

iron  kettle. 


he  kills. 


L. 


lake,  ne-o-rir-sha. 

late,  kan'-te-da. 

laugh,  ili'-a. 

leg,  ze'-ga,  and  zi'-be. 

leggin,  o-tali'. 

life,  ta'-fi. 

light,  o-kam'-ba. 

lightning,  thi-am'-ba,  and  thi-gre'-the. 

limb,  ia'-ka-ha. 

liver,  te-ra'-he. 

lodge,  ti,  house  or  lodge. 

log,  za,  and  za. 

love,  nit'-a. 

M. 

man,  no,  and  nn. 

ni-a-she'-ge-o-ke'-ni,  red  man,  Indian, 
meat,  ta. 

wash-e',  fat  meat, 
melon,  tha'-ka-ra'-te. 
midday,  mi-ro-mash'-zT. 
midnight,  ha-uth-kath'-ka. 
mink,  to-shing'-e. 
moccasin,  hiui'-be. 


wa-him'-be,  shoe,  wooden  moccasins. 
mole,  ma-ni'-gra. 
moon,  mi-am'-be. 
morning,  ha'-hi-kat-e. 
mother,  e-na'-ha,  my  mother, 
mountain,  pa-he-mali'-shi. 
mouth,  i. 

N. 

nail,  sha'-ge. 
navel,  re'-ta. 
near,  ash'-ka. 
neck,  pa'-hi. 
never,  sha'-sha. 
new,  te'-ka. 
night,  ha. 
no,  ang'-ka-zi. 
nose,  pa. 
nothing,  e-da-das'-the-zi. 

0. 

oats,  shang'-e-wa-rat'-e,  horse-feed. 
old,  i-sha'-ke. 
on,  a-gra'. 

hra'-be-a-ga'-ha,  on  the  tree. 
otter,  nu'-zhra. 

P. 

paddle,  man'-de-o-ro'-ka-hi,  oar. 

part,  do'-pa. 

partridge,  u-shi-wa'-re. 

pepper,  we-u-ki'-hi. 

pipe,  ni'-ni-bali . 

plain,  tan'-de,  prairie. 

polecat,  man'-ga. 

potato,  nu,  and  nu'-tan-ge. 


ill,  ma'-sha. 


Q- 


R. 


ram,  na-ze . 

red,  ze'-de. 

river,  ni. 

run,  taij'-re,  he  runs. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


451 


n'-se.   ) 

[   younger  sister, 
g-e,     ) 


s. 

sail,  wah-eh'-a,  muslin,  cloth, 
sash,  i-pi'-ra-ge',  belt, 
scale,  shi-she'. 
scalp,  ni-ka'-na-2i-ha. 
seat,  nin'-de,  rump, 
see,  tam'-be,  he  sees, 
shirt,  wo-na'-zi-bre'-ka. 
'shot-pouch,  ma-u'-za. 
shoulder,  eng-ke'-de. 
sinew,  ta-ka'. 
sing,  wa-a',  he  sings, 
sister,  wi-shan'-se, 

wi-tang'- 
skin,  nah. 
sky,  mali'-e,  clouds, 
smooth,  shi'-ah-di. 
snake,  wes'-a,  and  weth'-a. 
snow,  mas'-he. 
something,  e-da'-das-the. 
son,  wi-shing'-e,  my  son. 
soon,  oh-re',  early, 
sour,  tha'-re. 
speak,  i'-e,  he  speaks, 
spear,  man'-de-hi. 
spirit,  wa-kan'-da,  Great  Spirit. 

wa-na-he'-pi-a'-ze,  evil  spirit, 
spring,  ni-hang'-a,  of  water, 
me, 


mme 


a  season. 


squash,  wa'-ta-mo'-he. 
squirrel,  thin'-ga. 
star,  mi-ka'-e. 
steamboat,  pe'-te-man'-de. 
stomach,  nili'-a. 
stone,  i'-e. 

i-e-tan'-ga,  big  stone,  rock. 
stream,  wa-te'-ska. 
strike,  o-ti',  he  strikes. 
strong,  a'-wa-zi. 
summer,  nu'-ge. 
sun,  mi. 
sweet,  thi'-re. 


T. 

• 

that,  she. 

she'-ta,  that  man. 

she'-ra,  that  thing, 
thigh,  ze'-shu. 
think,  e-re'-ga,  he  thinks, 
this,  the.    .. 
thou,  thi. 

throat,  we-nam'-bre. 
through,  a-ku-than'-de. 

ni'-a-ku-than'-de,  through  the  water, 
thunder,  ing-re'-ho-ta. 
tie,  han'-ta,  he  ties. 
toad,  i-harj'-gi-ta. 
tobacco,  ni'-ni. 
to-day,  am'-ba-de. 
toe,  si'-pa. 

to-morrow,  kath'-a-ni. 
tongue,  re'-ze,  and  re'-se. 
tooth,  hi. 
tree,  hra'-be. 
turnip,  nu'-kre. 
turtle,  ke. 


ugly,  u-kash'-ni-da. 
under,  ki'-ke. 


U. 


V. 


valley,  woh-mis'-ka. 

vein,  kali. 

village,  ta'-we,  town. 

wa-kan'-da-ta'-we,  heaven,  God's  village. 

W. 

walk,  na-ni',  he  walks. 
wampum,  wa-nam'-pi. 
war-club,  wah-pe'. 
warrior,  wa-na'-she. 
water,  ni. 

ni-tan'-ga,  great  water, 
we,  au'-go. 
weak,  wa-he'-hi. 


452 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY  AND  PHILOLOGY   OF  THE 


weed,  raa'-hi. 

what  ?  e-da'-da,  what  is  it  ? 

wi'-a-wa'-tha,  what  thing  ? 
wheat,  wa-muth'-ka. 
white,  thka. 
who,  e'-be. 

wife,  wi-ha'-he-na,  my  wife, 
wind,  te'-de. 
wing,  a'-hi. 
winter,  mar'-e. 
wish,  eth'-ka,  he  wishes. 
within,  man'-te. 


without,  a'-shi. 

wolf,  shun-tan'-ga. 

woman,  mi-zing'-e,  and  gath-za'-se. 

she'-mi-shing'-c,  an  uinuarried  woman. 
wood,  za. 


Y. 


year,  o-ma'-re-ka. 
yellow,  thi. 
yes,  a-ha'. 

yesterday,  thi-da'-di. 
young,  shin'-ga,  little. 


VOCABULARY   OF   THE    IOWA,   OR   OTO   LANGUAGE. 


A. 


above,  mang'-kri. 

i-ro'-ina-ha,  above,  on  a  stream. 
alive,  ili'-a. 
all,  pro-ke'. 
ankle,  thi'-ka. 
another,  o-ki-ce'. 
ant,  na-kan'-yi-ske. 
arm,  a-kra'-6e. 
arrow,  ma. 
ash,  ko-hun'-ye. 
autumn,  wa-ha'-he,  full  harvest. 

tan'-yen-ta,  falling  of  leaves,  dead  leaves. 
axe,  en'-thwe. 

B. 

back,  nang'-ke. 
bad,  pish'-kun-yi,  not  good. 
bark,  na'-ha. 
beak,  pa-thuli'. 
bean,  on'-ye. 

bear,  man-to',  grizzly  bear. 
mun-6e',  black  bear. 
beard,  i'-hi,  hair  of  the  mouth, 
beaver,  ra-we'. 
bird,  wa-yeng'-e. 
bitter,  pa. 
black,  the'-we,  and  she'-we. 


bladder,  cV-ye-he,  and  wa-ce'-ye. 
blood,  wa-pa'-ke. 
blue,  to'-ho-de. 
boat,  pa-6e'. 

pa-6e'-han-ye,  ship,  large  boat. 

ta-de'-re-ta-u'-kra,  mast,  support  for  the  sail. 
body,  i'-ro. 
bone,  wa-hu'. 
bow,  mali'-tu. 
boy,  i'-6in'-to-ing-e. 
breast,  man'-ge. 
breechcloth,  de'-ro-ken'-ye. 
brother,  hi-yi'-na,  my  elder  brother. 

burn,  ta-ho'-ke,          )    . 

y    he  burns, 
ta-ho  -hi-ka,     j 

by,  i-ta'-na. 

to'-ri-ke-ing'-e,    •) 

[   by  and  by. 
.  to  -ri-ke,  ) 

G. 
call,  wang'-ke,  he  calls. 

ki-wang'-ke,  he  calls  for. 
cat,  mung'-ka,  polecat, 
cattle,  6e,  bison. 

6e-the'-we,  black  cattle. 
6eth'-ka,  white  cattle. 
chief,  wang'-e-ka-he. 
coat,  wo-na'-ye. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE  MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


453 


cold,  thni. 

corn,  wa-tu-ce'-di-to-we,  cornmeal. 

crow,  ka'-he. 

cry,  ha'-ke-ke. 

ha'-ki-nang-a-ke,  crying. 


D. 

I  he  dances. 


dance,  wa-shi'-ke, 

6e'-ke, 

darkness,  o-han'-the. 
day,  ha'-we. 
dead,  de',  and  ce'-ke. 
deer,  ta. 

dog,  shung'-ko-ken-yi. 
drink,  ra-tang'-ke,  he  drinks. 

ra-ta'-na, 

ra-ta'-nang-a-ke, 

E. 

eagle,  bra. 

ear,  nan'-twa. 

early,  ha'-we-kri,  day  come. 

earth,  ma'-ya,  •) 

*       >   ground, 
ma-ha,   ) 

eat,  ru-ce'-ke,  he  eats, 
ru-de'-na, 

wa-ru'-6e-nang-a-ke, 
elk,  hu'-ma,  and  ho'-ma. 
elm,  e'-hu. 
embark,  pa-de'-o-mi-na'-re-ke,  he  went  and  sat  down 

in  a  boat  to  embark, 
enemy,  wo-re-kesh'-kun-ye. 
evening,  pi-hi'-re,  sun  declines. 
exist,  ke. 

re'-ke, 

ni'-ke, 

a-re'-ke, 

shni'-ke,  you  are. 
eye,  Ish'-ta. 

F. 

face,  en'-de. 
far,  pa-6e'-ma. 

ha-re'-ta,  far  off,  at  a  distance. 


eating. 


he  is. 

to  be,  to  exist. 


father,  heng'-ka,  my  father. 
nan-6e',  your  father, 
an-ce',  his  father, 
feather,  meli'-e,  and  mi-ah'-e. 
fin,  a'-we. 
fire,  pe'-6e. 
fish,,  ho. 

poli'-e,  catfish, 
flesh,  i'-ro. 
flint,  me'-thu. 

flour,  wa-puth'-ke-sho'-sho-c'e. 
flower,  o-hra'. 
fly,  pa'-pru-he. 
foot,  thi. 
for,  ha'-ri. 

forever,  i-ya'-mali-6i,  and  a-mali'-6i. 
fox,  mesh-re'-ke. 
friend,  i-ta'-ro,  and  wo-re-ken'-ye. 

G. 

girl,  i-deng'-ching-e,  and  i-6ih'-mi-ing-e. 
go,  re'-ke,  he  goes. 
good,  pi. 

pi'-ke,  he  is  good. 
goose,  meh'-e. 

rneh'-shing-a,  little  goose. 

meli-ath'-ka-han'-ye,  a  swan,  white  goose. 
grass,  ha'-me,  and  ha'-6e. 

ha'-6e-pi-the,  dry  grass. 
great,  tan'-ra. 
green,  to. 
gun,  i-yo-6e'. 

H. 

hail,  pa-thu'. 
hair,  nan'-tu. 
hand,  na'-we. 

na-we'-pa,  finger,  nose  of  the  hand, 
handsome,  i-ro'-kam-pi. 
hawk,  hre'-ta. 
head,  nan'-thu. 
head-dress,  wo'-krang-e. 
heart,  na-ce'. 
heaven,  nang'-kri-nan-ga,  above. 


454 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


heel,  tni'-re-de. 
hill,  a-he'. 

a-he'-mak-shi,  high  hill,,  mountain. 
hog,  ko-ko'-tha. 
hot,  tah'-na,  and  tali'-a-na. 
house,  ci-ro'-ta-ta,  in  the  house, 
husband,  heng'-kra. 


I,  men'-re,  and  nii'-e. 
ice,  noli'-e. 
iron,  man'-the. 

man-theth'-ka,  white  iron,  silver. 
island,  6e-ro-men'-6e,  and  i-ro-man'-de. 

K. 

kettle,  der-he'. 

man'-the-der'-he,  iron  kettle. 
kill,  6e'-hi-ke,  he  kills, 
knee,  shas'-ke. 
knife,  ma'-hi. 


ma-thang'-ke, 
ma'-hi-han'-ye, 


I  big  knife. 


L. 


lake,  6e-ki'-he,  and  ni-a-pa'-6e. 

late,  pi-a-hon'-ye-hu'-ta. 

laugh,  ik-sha-nang'-a-ke,  laughing. 

ih'-sha-nang-a-ke,  he  is  laughing. 

ih-sha'-ke,  ) 

•i    v.  M        f   he  lauSbs- 
ik-sha-ke,   ) 

lead,  man'-the-mi. 
leaf,  na'-we. 
leg,  hu. 

hu'-ro,  calf  of  the  leg. 
leggin,  a-ku'-ta. 
life,  i'-ha,  and  ih'-a. 
light,  o'-ha-we. 
lightning,  ru-kri',  and  ru-gri'. 
liver,  pi. 
lodge,  6i. 

cl-ho-the-cV,  skin  tent,  log  house. 

6i'-na,  village. 

ci-o'-ke,  door,  house  entrance. 


log,  na'-kri-we. 

love,  kra'-hi-ke,  he  loves. 

M. 

male,  wan'-ge. 
man,  wang'-kwa-sho-she,  a  brave  man. 

wa-sTii'-ke-shu'-ce,      ) 

}•  red  man,  Indian, 
wa-shi -ke-o-ken  -ye,   J 

meadow,  wa-tush'-ra. 

midday,  hi-mash'-6e,  warm  sun. 

midnight,  ha-he'-o-ki-nan'-the-te. 

mink,  toh-shing'-e. 

moccasin,  a-ku'-6e. 

moon,  pi'-ta-we. 

morning,  he-ro-tali'-ci,  and  ta-ra-men'-ta. 

mother,  hi'-na,  my  mother. 

mouth,  i. 

muskrat,  ut-wa'-ke. 

N. 

nail,  sha'-ke. 
navel,  de'-twa. 
near,  as'-ke,  and  as'-ki. 
neck,  ta'-she. 
nettle,  han'-to. 
never,  i-ya'-ha. 
night,  ha'-he. 
no,  heng'-e-ko. 
nose,  pa. 
nothing,  ta-ku'-pash-kun'-ye,  and  o-ken'-ye. 

0. 

oak,  pu'-tu,  and  na-pu'-tu. 
old,  ya'-ke,  and  sha'-ke. 
on,  a-ha'-ta-ta. 

na-a-hon'-ye,  on  the  tree. 

a-hon'-ye,  to  climb, 
otter,  tosh'-nang-e. 
owl,  mam'-po-ke. 

P. 

part,  to'-he. 

o-keth'-ra,  half, 
partridge,  to'-shra-eng-a. 
perhaps,  as-ku,  and  a-rOli'-nas-ki. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


455 


pigeon,  pu-ce'-eng-e. 
pipe,  rali'-no-we. 
plain,  a-prath'-ke,  prairie, 
poor,  wa-hwa'-ta. 
.post,  na-po'-hro-ke. 
potato,  to-haij'-ye. 
pumpkin,  wat-wa'-ing-e,  squash,  little  pumpkin. 

tha-ke-ra'-6e,   melon,   anything    eaten   un 
cooked. 

K. 

rain,  ni'-yu. 

raven,  ka'-he-hag'-ye. 

red,  shu'-ce. 

river,  nesh-nang'-a. 

rough,  ma-ha-i'-yo-yo-ke,  a  bog. 

run,  nang'-e-ke,  he  runs. 

S. 

sail,  ta-ce'-re-ta. 
salt,  nith'-ku,  sweet  water, 
sash,  ce'-hi-i-pi-re. 
scale,  ki-shu'-we. 
scalp,  wa-nan'-thu-hu'-ha. 
seat,  shen'-<5e,  rump, 
see,  a-ta'-ke,  he  sees. 
she,  e-e,  he  or  she. 
shirt,  wo-na'-ye. 
shoe,  thi'-re-yo'-ke. 

shore,  i-ru'-shi-shi'-we-ta,  by  the  shore, 
shot-pouch,  man'-the-tni-wo'-yu. 
shrub,  hra'-he,  any  low  bush, 
sing,  ya-me'-ke,  he  sings. 
sister,  he-yu'-na,  elder  sister. 

hen-tan'-ga,  younger  sister, 
skin,  ha,  and  i-hu'-ha. 
sky,  ke-ra'. 

u-hi'-he,  in  the  sky. 
slender,  thu-eng'-e. 
snake,  wa-ka'. 
snipe,  wi-tuh'-c. 
snow,  pa. 

something,  ta-ku'-ra-shu. 
son,  hi-yeng'-e,  iny  son. 

VOL.  Xli. — 58 


di-yeng'-e,  your  son. 

i-yeng'-e,  his  son. 
sour,  nath'-ta. 
speak,  i-ce'-ke, 


i-ce'-ke,          ) 

Y    he  speaks, 
i-be'-ta-ke,      j 


a  small  stream. 


he  strikes. 


spear,  wi-yo'-kre. 

spirit,  wa-kau'-ta,  Great  Spirit. 

wa-kan'-ta-plsh'-kun,  evil  spirit. 

wa-kan'-ta-ci'-na,    the   Great   Spirit's   village, 

heaven. 
spring,  pe'-ta. 
star,  pi-ka'-e. 
steamboat,  pa-6e'-ta-ko. 
stomach,  sho'-ke,  and  sho'-ku-hon'-ye. 
stone,  en'-ro. 

en'-ro-harj'-ye,  big  stone,  rock. 
stream,  nesh-nang'-a,        "> 
nesh-nah'-shing,   j 
strike,  i-ce', 

o-6i-ke, 

strong,  preli'-e. 
sucker,  kon'-ye. 
summer,  to'-ke-ta,  wet  season. 
sun,  pi. 
sweet,  thku. 

T. 

that,  ka'-e. 

thigh,  re'-ke,  and  re'-ku-han'-ye. 

think,  keh'-thu-ke, 

i-ru'-ka-na' 
this,  de. 
thistle,  weh'-i. 
thou,  di'-re,  and  di'-e. 
through,  wa-ho'-c'e. 
thunder,  ka. 
tie,  ruth-ki-ce'-ke, 

i'-re-ske, 
toad,  6e-wa'-ho. 
tobacco,  nan'-ye. 
to-day,  ha'-we-ke. 
toe,  thi'-ha. 
to-morrow,  han'-ro-ta. 
tongue,  re'-the. 


'      I  he  thi 
a'-ke,  J 


thinks. 


I  he  ties. 


456 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


tooth,  hi. 
tortoise,  ke'-ta. 
trout,  to'-thi. 


U. 


ugly,  i-ro-kam'-pesh-kun'-ye,  not  handsome. 

under,  ku'-ha. 

up,  o-me'-si-ta,  up  the  country. 

V. 

valley,  kro'-ke,  hollow, 
vein,  ka. 

a'-ka,  vein  in  the  arm. 
village,  ^-i'-na-pro-ki,  the  whole  village. 

W. 

walk,  man'-yc-ke,  he  walks. 
wampum,  u-nam'-pi,  beads. 
war-club,  ma'-ya-ki-ta-wi'-ro-6i. 
water,  ni. 

ni-hung'-e,  through  the  water. 

6e'-ta, 

ni'- 

we,  hi'-e. 
weak,  pren'-ra-ra. 
weasel,  hen-thh'-tha. 
weather,  mash'-ce,  warm  weather. 
weed,  ha'-6e,  and  ha'-mi. 
what,  wa-ye'-re-6e. 

ta-ku'-ra,  what  is  it? 
wheat,  wa-putli'-ka. 
which,  ta'-na-ha. 


Se'-ta,          -> 
ai'-han-ye,  y 


great  water. 


white,  thka. 

who,  wa-ge'-re. 

wife,  hen-ta'-mi,  my  wife. 

wind,  ta'-ce,  and  tak'-tha-ko. 

windpipe,  to'-hu-hu. 

wing,  a'-hu. 

winter,  pan-ye'-ta,  when  it  snows. 

thni'-ta,  when  it  is  cold. 
wish,  kun'-re-ke. 
within,  ro'-ta-ta. 
without,  tan'-gri-ta. 
wolf,  shun'-ta. 

man-yi-ka',  prairie  wolf. 
woman,  i-nun'-ge,  and  wa-shi'-ke-mi. 
wood,  na. 

na-pu'-pa-na,  pine,  sweet-smelling  wood. 

na-pa-krun'-ce,  stump,  wood  cut  off. 

na-ro-tang'-kre,  tree,  upright  wood. 

na-kra'-<5e,  arm  of  a  tree,  limb. 

pa-6e'-hra-we,  undergrowth,  forest,  brush,  &c. 

hi'-sku,  bass-wood. 
woodcock,  thka'-ge. 
woodpecker,  to'-kre-kre'-the. 
worm,  rua-shi'-we. 

Y. 

ye,  di'-re-wi. 
year,  pa'-yi. 
yellow,  thi. 
yes,  hun'-6e. 
yesterday,  ta'-nan-yi'-ta. 
young,  shing'-e-6i. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI    VALLEY.  457 


NOTE. 


THE  materials  composing  this  memoir  have  been  accumulated  during  several  expeditions  to  the  Northwest  since 
1855.  A  considerable  portion  of  the  information  in  regard  to  the  history  of  the  Indian  tribes  was  obtained  during 
the  years  1854  and  '55,  while  the  author  was  exploring  the  Valley  of  the  Missouri  River,  under  the  patronage 
and  protection  of  the  American  Fur  Company.  The  greater  part,  however,  was  secured  in  1856  and  '57,  while 
under  the  command  of  Lieut.  G.  K.  Warren,  T\  E.  U.  S.  A.,  and  in  the  years  1859  and  '60,  while  attached  to 
the  Exploring  Expedition  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Missouri  and  Yellowstone,  under  the  command  of  Capt. 
William  F.  Raynolds,  T.  E.  U.  S.  A.  From  both  Lieut.  Warren  and  Capt.  Raynolds,  the  author  cheerfully 
acknowledges  great  aid  and  encouragement  in  his  researches.  The  results  have  been  prepared  and  published  in 
their  present  form  by  permission  of  the  War  Department. 

The  proof-sheets  have  been  read  with  great  care  by  a  very  critical  philologist,  Mr.  Pliny  E.  Chase,  of  Philadel 
phia,  and  for  his  kindness  and  courtesy  in  this  matter,  the  author  gladly  acknowledges  his  indebtedness. 

EXPLANATION  OF  PLATES  AND  MAP. 

The  plates  of  Indian  portraits  were  added  to  the  memoir  at  the  suggestion  of  an  eminent  ethnologist  after  the 
paper  was  completed,  and  this  will  account  for  the  absence  of  any  allusion  to  them  in  the  text.  It  was  a  favorite 
design  of  the  late  lamented  Prof.  W.  W.  Turner,  to  prepare  a  work  on  the  Indian  languages  of  America,  accompa 
nied  with  portraits,  so  far  as  they  could  be  secured,  of  the  Indians  from  whom  the  vocabularies  were  obtained, 
showing  the  mental  status  of  the  man,  as  the  representative  of  his  tribe  or  language.  So  far  as  possible  I  have 
adopted  this  plan  in  the  present  memoir.  The  figures  on  the  plates  accompanying  this  work  are  copied  from  photo 
graphs  taken  in  the  Indian  country,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  J.  D.  Hutton,  Topographical  Assistant  to  Capt. 
William  F.  llaynolds,  T.  E.,  and  published  by  permission  of  the  latter.  They  are  quite  characteristic  of  the 
tribes  they  represent. 

FIG.  1,  Plate  I,  represents  one  of  the  most  noted  Crow  chiefs,  who  wields  great  influence  in  his  tribe,  is  a  fine 
orator,  and  possessed  of  strong  native  talents.  From  him  I  obtained  much  reliable  information  in  regard  to  the 
history  and  the  language  of  the  Crow  tribe.  FIG.  2  is  a  Shyenne  brave,  an  excellent  hunter,  with  fine  natural 
powers,  quick  perceptions  and  intelligence,  increased  by  long  association  with  the  whites.  He  formed  the  medium 
through  which  I  obtained  all  the  materials  in  regard  to  the  Shyennes  and  their  language.  He  is  alluded  to  in  the 
text  under  the  name  of  "  Rib,"  on  page  276.  FIG.  3  is  the  portrait  of  "  Iron  Horn,"  one  of  the  most  noted 
medicine-men  in  the  Dakota  nation.  He  possesses  great  influence  in  his  tribe,  is  a  warm  friend  of  the  whites, 
and  has  done  much  to  harmonize  difficulties  among  his  people.  He  has  often  acted  as  guide  and  hunter  to  United 
States  Exploring  parties  in  the  Dakota  country.  FIG.  4  represents  the  daughter  of  a  late  chief  of  one  of  the 
principal  bands  of  the  Dakota  nation,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  Mr.  Charles  E.  Galpin,  one  of  the  chief  partners  in  the 
American  Fur  Company.  She  is  a  woman  of  much  intelligence  and  fine  natural  capacities,  and  may  be  regarded 
as  the  highest  type  of  her  sex  among  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  Northwest. 

FIG.  5,  Plate  II,  is  a  Crow  Indian  of  the  more  common  sort,  somewhat  below  the  average  grade.  FIG.  6 
represents  one  of  the  most  influential  chiefs  of  the  Yancton  band  of  the  Dakotas,  "  Smutty  Bear,"  as  his  Indian 


458  ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 

name  has  been  interpreted  by  the  traders.  He  is  a  fine  orator,  and  manages  the  affairs  of  his  people  with  ability 
and  prudence.  FIG.  7,  a,  b,  c, -are  Arapoho  chiefs.  FIG.  1,  d,  is  a  tolerably  good  likeness  of  "Friday,"  whose 
history  is  given  briefly  on  page  322  of  this  memoir. 

The  MAP  accompanying  this  memoir  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  present  geographical  position  of  the  different 
Indian  tribes  inhabiting  the  Missouri  Valley.  The  discrepancies  in  the  spelling  of  proper  names,  which  has 
become  so  complicated  at  this  time,  could  not  be  remedied  in  the  present  paper.  The  names  of  tribes  in  large 
letters  indicate  their  range  prior  to  treaties  with  the  United  States.  The  Reserves  on  the  Lower  Missouri  are 
shown  by  dotted  lines. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


459 


INDEX/ 


GEOGRAPHY. 

Blackfoot  country,   "Bad   Lands" 

of,  250,  251. 
Bridger's  Pass,  322. 
California,  373. 

Chagouadmigong  Mission,  380. 
Coteau  de  Prairie,  249. 
Dakota,  Territory  of,  364. 
English  possessions,  240. 
Great  Bend,  276,  388. 
Indian  Agency,  322. 
Iowa  Town,  445. 
Mauvaises  Terres,  or  "  Bad  Lands," 

notice  of,  365,  366. 
Minnesota,  Territory  of,  364. 
Miocene  Tertiary  Period,  367. 
Mississippi  Valley,  346. 
Nebraska,  364. 
Northwest  Territory,  364. 
North  Park,  322. 
Oregon,  373. 

Red  Pipestone  Quarry,  365. 
St.  Mary's  Valley,  249. 
Upper    Missouri,    340,   351,  355, 

379. 

MOUNTAINS. 

Alps,  395. 
Big-horn,  231. 
Black  Hills,  274. 
Cypress,  237,  346. 
Hill  of  Thunder,  365. 
Montagues  des  Bois,  237. 
Pike's  Peak,  321. 
Prickly  Pear,  236. 
Red  Buttes,  321. 
Rocky,  249,  340,  392. 
Slender  Butte,  374. 
Three  Tetons,  322. 
Tinder,  237. 
Turtle,  239. 

Wind  River  Mountains,  394. 
Woody,  236. 


RIVERS. 

Apple,  364,  365,  375. 
Arkansas,  321. 
Assiniboin,  source  of,  239. 
Belly,  249. 
Big  Muddy,  387. 
Big  Nemaha,  447. 
Big  Sioux,  364. 
Big  Snake,  341. 
Cannon-ball,  365. 
Cimarron,  322. 
Columbia,  249. 
Deer  Creek,  322. 
Des  Moines,  370. 
Grand,  352. 

Grand  Coulee,  382,  387. 
Great  Shyenne,  North  and    South 

Forks,  description  of,  274. 
Green,  276. 
Heart,  365. 
Illinois,  346. 
Iowa,  445. 
Iowa  Rapids,  445. 
James,  364. 

Judith,  character  of,  250. 
Knife,  382. 

La  Riviere  aux  Souris,  240,  387. 
Little  Muddy,  382. 
Little  Shyenne,  275. 
Maria,  249. 

Mankato,  or  Blue  Earth,  445. 
Medicine,  365. 
Milk,  251. 
Moreau,  365. 

Mussel-shell,  character  of,  250. 
Niobrara,  369. 
North  Platte,  276. 
Pembina,  source  of,  239. 
Ponkas,  448. 
Porcupine,  382. 
Powder,  321. 
Quaking  Asp,  382. 
Red,  239. 


Rio  del  Norte,  321. 

Riviere  du  Pare,  239. 

Riviere   aux  Tremble,  or  Quaking 

Asp,  382. 

Saskatchewan,  249. 
South  Platte,  276. 
St.  Peter's,  379. 
Sweet  Water,  276. 
Teton,  365. 
Vermilion,  364. 
Wabash,  346. 
Washita,  347. 

Wash-te'-wak-pa  or  Good  River,  274 . 
White,  365,  373. 
Wolf,  or  Loup  Fork,  346. 

LAKES. 

Athabasca,  235. 

Fresh-water  lakes,  notice  of,  367. 
Huron,  236. 
Lac  du  Diable,  375. 
Lac  de  L'Isle  Croix,  238. 
Lac  Qu'appelle,  237. 
Lac  qui  Parle,  364. 
Lake  of  the  Woods,  236. 
Michigan,  236. 
Red  Lake,  239.    . 
Slave  Lake,  235. 
Superior,  236. 
Traverse,  239. 
Winnipeg  and  Northern  Lakes,  236. 

Foaxs. 

Cassepierre,  239. 
Clarke,  352,  356,  423. 
Fort  de  Prairie,  237. 
Laramie,  on  the  North  Platte,  276, 

373. 

Pierre,  366,  375. 
Union,  climate  of,  251,  381,  387, 

394. 

BOTANY. 
Amelanchier  Canadcnsis,  370. 


*  This  Index  is  not  intended  to  be  a  complete  one,  but  to  include  only  the  principal  proper  names  employed  in  the  text. 


460 


ON   THE   ETHNOGRAPHY   AND   PHILOLOGY   OF   THE 


Apios  tuberosa,  3G9. 

Artemisia  trifida,  202. 

Cornus,  osier,  251. 

Crategus  coccineus,  293. 

Grain  de  bceuf,  370. 

Helianthus  tuberosus,  369. 

Huinulus  lupulus,  var.  Americanus, 

386. 

Indian  corn,  353. 
Lobelia  inflata,  Indian  tobacco,  273. 
Mentha  Canadensis,  319. 
Opuntia  Missouriensis,  0.  fragilis, 

884. 
Pomme  blanche,  or  prairie  turnip, 

280. 

Prunus  Americana,  370. 
Prunus  Virginiana,  370. 
Prunus  pumila,  367. 
Psoralea        esculenta,        "  Pomme 

blanche,"  369. 
Pumpkins,  353. 
"Rose-buds,"  370. 
Sarcobatus  yermicularis,  292. 
Squashes,  353. 
Yucca  angustifolia,  367. 

ZOOLOGY. 

Arctomys  ludovicianus,  prairie  dog, 

368. 

Cervus  leucurus,  392. 
Cervus  macrotis,  392. 
Dentalium,  used  as  ornaments,  269, 

314. 
Ovis  montana,  366,  392. 

ETHNOLOGY; 

Ahnahaways,  421. 

Arapohos,  232,  231. 

Arikaras,  232,  351. 

Assinnee-Poetuc,  380. 

Assiniboins,  232,  379. 

Assinepoils,  380. 

Atsinas,  232,  310. 

Ayavois,  445. 

Big  Robber,  Crow  Chief,  394. 

Blackfeet,  232,  248. 

Brulees,  or  Burnt  Thighs,  371,  372. 

373. 

Chippewas,  235,  379. 
Clear  Blue  Earth,  372. 
Crows,  232,  391. 
Cut-heads,  374. 


Dakotas,  352,  364,  379. 

Fall,  or  Big-bellied   Indians,   Gros 

Ventres  de  Prairie,  253. 
Flat-heads  of    St.   Mary's  Valley, 

394. 
Foolish     People,    Arapoho    Band, 

326. 

Friday,  Arapoho  Interpreter,  322. 
Gens  des  Canots,  387. 
Gens  du  Gauche,  387. 
Gens  du  Nord,  388. 
Grand  Pawnees,  347. 
Ho-ha,  or  Rebels,  380. 
Ho'-he,  or  Fish-eaters,  381. 
Huecos,  347. 
Hunk'-pa-pas,  374. 
Iroquois,  346. 
Issati,  380. 
I-ta'-zip-cos,  374. 
Kai'-e-na,  256. 
Kansas,  232. 
Kaskaias,  321. 
Killistinoes,  380. 
Knisteneaux,  or  Crees,  232,  239. 
Kutonas,  256. 

Le  Chef  du  Tonnerre,  Cree,  247. 
Le  Gros  Francais,  379. 
Les  Gens  des  Ruches,  379. 
La  Lance,  237. 
"  Le  Sonnant,"  237. 
Mahaha,  421. 
Mandans,  232,  426. 
Matotantes,  346. 
Ma-to'-to-pa,  or  Four  Bears,  374. 
Metaharta,  422. 
Mexicans,  322. 

Mi-ali'-ta-nes,  or  Mandans,  426. 
Mi-ne-kan-zus,  374. 
Minnitarees  of  the  Missouri,  344. 
Minnitarees  of  the  Prairie,  344. 
Missouri  Dakotas,  371. 
Nadowasis,  380. 
Nadouessis,  or  Scioux,  380. 
Nandowessie  Nation,  380. 
Ne'-a-ya-6g,  meaning  of,  235. 
Nehethewas,  or  Crees,  343. 
Ogaliilas,  373. 
Omahas,  232,  444. 
Osages,  232,  346. 
Osinipoilles,  380. 
Otos,  232,  444. 
Pana,  346. 


Paneassa,  346. 

Panelogo,  346. 

Panismahans,  346. 

Paunch,    Fall,    or  Rapid    Indians, 

343,  422. 

Pawnees,  345,  351. 
Pawnee  Loups,  346. 
Pawnee  Picts,  3  17. 
Pawnee  Republics,  347. 
People  of  the  Sage,  321. 
Pieaneux,  253. 
Piegan,  253. 
Piekanus,  256. 
Plusieurs  des  Aigles,  237. 
Ponkas,  232. 
Pine  Indians,  374. 
Rapid  Indians,  254. 
Rees,  356. 
Rib,    Shyenne   hunter,    276,   277, 

278. 

Ricaras,  421. 
Sarcees,  256. 

Shai-e'la,  or  Shai-en'-a,  274. 
Si'-ha-sa'-pas,  374. 
Siksikai,  256. 
Sioux,  254. 
Small  Gulls,  237. 
Snake    and      Nez-Perce     Indians, 

394. 

Soulier  Noirs,  or  Shoe  Indians,  422. 
Ta-nish'  or  Sa-nish',  "  The  People," 

356. 

The  Little  Eagle,  237. 
The  Painted  Lodge,  237. 
Two-Kettle  Band,  374. 
Wa'-na-ta,  375. 
Wattasoons,  422. 
Weepers,  380. 
Wichitas,  347. 
AVo-he-nom'-pa,  374. 
Wolf  Pawnees,  346. 
Yanctonais,  374. 

MYTHOLOGY,  CUSTOMS. 

Astronomical    knowledge     of    the 

Crees,  245. 
Aurora  Borealis,  245. 
"  Buffalo  chips,"  388. 
Caches,  how  used,  353. 
Chief's  Road,  245. 
Great  Spirit,  278,  323,  431. 
Great  Spirit  Chief,  245. 


INDIAN    TRIBES   OF   THE   MISSOURI   VALLEY. 


461 


Indian  paradise,  location  of,  245. 

Milky  Way,  245. 

Flue,  value  of,  247. 

Polar  Star,  245. 

Pouderie  defined,  360. 

Snake  Moon,  349. 

Sunday,  317. 

Ursa  Major,  245. 

Big  Owl  Dance,  281. 

Buffalo-woman      Dance,   Arapoho, 

326. 

Bull-Head  Dance,  281. 
Dog  Dance,  281. 
Dog  Dance,  Arapoho,  325. 
Elk  Dance,  281. 

Foolish  Dog's  Dance,  Arapoho,  326. 
Fox  Dance,  281. 

Little  Dog's  Dance,  Arapoho,  326. 
Medicine  Dance,  281. 
Olympic  amusements,  430. 
Scalp  Dance,  281. 
Soldier  Dance,  281. 
Strong-Heart  Dance,  281. 
Sun  Dance,  280. 
War  Dance,  Arapoho,  325. 
White  Belt  Dance,  281. 

AUTHORITIES. 

Abort,  Lieut.,  U.  S.  A.,  vocabulary 

taken  by,  282. 

Alcedo's  Spanish  Geography,  445. 
American  Fur  Company,  234,  237, 

353. 

Archscologia  Americana,  282,  347. 
Bourgmont,  visit  to  Pawnees,  346. 
Braokeoridge,  H.  M.,  Voyage  up 

the  Missouri  lliver,  in  1811, 

254,  343. 


Brauninger,  Rev.  Mr.,  231,  395. 

Carver,  380. 

Catlin,  George,  "  North  American 

Indians,"  notes  on,  254,  356. 
Culbertson,  Mr.  Alexander,  234. 
Dakota  Grammar,  231,  282. 
Dawson,  Mr.  Andrew,  234,  356. 
Denig,  Mr.  E.  T.,  234,  381. 
De  Smet,  Father,  Travels  of,  255. 
Dole,  Hon.  Wm.  P.,  234. 
Doty,  Mr.  James,  250. 
Doway,  Father,  narrative  of,  346. 
Dunbar,  Rev.  Mr.,  347. 
Emory,  Notes,  &c.,  282. 
Ethnological  Society,  Transactions 

of,  253,  282. 
Fitzpatrick,  Mr.,  322. 
Force,  Col.  Peter,  234. 
Galpin,  Mr.  C.  E.,  234,  457. 
Gallatin,   Hon.  Albert,  253,  282, 

321,  343,  347,  423,  428. 
Hale,  Horatio,  254. 
Hamilton,  Rev.  Wm.,  347,  447. 
Howse,  Mr.  Joseph,  Cree  Grammar, 

235. 

Henry,  Prof.,  234. 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  239,  240, 

247,  249,  255,  340,  343. 
Indian  Bureau,  United  States,  276. 
Indian  Tribes  of  the  United  States, 

255. 

Kipp,  Mr.  James,  435. 
La  Hontan,  380. 
La  Salle,  Voyage,  &c.,  346. 
Le  Sueur's  Voyage,  235,  445. 
Leidy,  Prof.  Joseph,  367. 
Lewis  and   Clarke's  Journal,  253, 

346,  379,  421,  446. 


Long,  Major  S.  H.,  275,  321,  423. 

Ludwig,  Literature  of  American 
Aboriginal  Languages,  282. 

Maximilian,  Prince  of  Wied,  Travels 
of,  255,  380,  395,  435. 

Mackenzie,  General  History  of  the 
Fur  Trade,  253,  380. 

Meldrum,  Mr.  Robert,  395. 

Pacific  Railroad  Reports,  250. 

Membre',  Father  Zenobius,  445. 

Mitchell,  Col.  D.  D.,  255,  427. 

Moncrovie,  J.  B.,  vocabulary  by, 
255. 

Morse,  Rev.  J.,  254, 276,  321, 343, 
423. 

Pike,  Lieut.  Z.,  321. 

Proceedings  of  the  Academy  of 
Natural  Sciences,  Philadelphia, 
367. 

Raynolds,  Capt.  William  F.,  276, 
322,  457. 

Riggs,  Mr.  S.  R.,  233. 

Say,  Prof.  T.,  423. 

Schoolcraft,  Mr.  H.  R.,  234. 

Shea,  J.  G.,  235,  445. 

Smithsonian  Institution,  231,  233, 
282. 

Stevens,  Gov.  I.  I.,  250,  344. 

Sublette,  Mr.,  341,  342. 

Transactions  of  the  American  Anti 
quarian  Society,  Vol.  II,  254. 

Treaty  with  the  Blackfeet  in  1855, 
252. 

Turner,  Prof.  Wm.  W.,  233,  457. 

Umfreville,  253,  343,  380. 

United  States  Exploring  Expedi 
tion,  Philology  of,  254. 

Warren,  Lieut.  G.  K.,  371,  457. 


Trans  Am  Phil  Soc.  Vol.  XII. PL.  2 


CROW    INDIAN 


YANCTON  CHIEF. 


T  Sinclair  Miftu  Phi1 


PRINCIPAL   CHIEFS,   ARAPOHO    TRIBE. 


m- 


* 


